EFFECT OF CONAGENIN IN TUMOR-BEARING MICE - ANTITUMOR-ACTIVITY, GENERATION OF EFFECTOR-CELLS AND CYTOKINE PRODUCTION

Antitumor effects and function of T cells in tumor bearing mice given conagenin (CNG), a low molecular immunomodulator, were investigated. T he administration of CNG, once a week for 4 weeks, was the most effect ive schedule in inhibiting growth of IMC carcinoma, a syngeneic tumor. In this regimen, cytotoxic T lymphocytes and natural killer activitie s in spleens of CNG treated mice were maintained at higher levels than those of non-treated mice. Lymphokine production by splenic T cells w as also enhanced in cultures, whereas monokine production by macrophag es, which was increased in accordance with tumor growth, was reduced b y CNG administration. The autitumor effect of CNG was not observed in mice given anti-asialo GM1 serum and in athymic mice. Results shown in this report suggest that CNG exerts its antitumor effects through act ivation of T cells and enhancement of generation of antitumor effector cells.