Effects of the coral calcium as an inhibitory substance against colon cancer and its metastasis in the lungs

Growth rates of mouse Colon 26 cancer cells were observed in acidic culture media and weak alkaline culture media. Coral Calcium exhibited an inhibito ry effect on the growth of cancer cells in weak alkaline (pH 7.5) culture m edium (in vitro). In addition, the effect of Coral Calcium concentration ag ainst Colon 26 cancer cells was investigated using calcium carbonate as a c ontrol. The growth of the cancer cells tended to be inhibited at a greater concentration of Coral Calcium, in vitro. In vivo study, the effects of Coral Calcium and calcium carbonate (control) against the Colon 26 cancer cells were compared using mice. The activity o f the NK cells and the number of macrophages in the group to which Coral Ca lcium was administered were greater than those in the group to which calciu m carbonate was administered. Furthermore, in a vivo study, the effects of Coral Calcium concentrations w ere investigated. Colon 26 cancer cells were inoculated into mice, followed by an investigation of the prophylactic effects (i.e., as a cancer-inhibit ory substance) of Coral Calcium against the metastasis of Colon 26 cancer c ells in the lungs. The greater the dose of Coral Calcium, the greater the a ctivity of NK cells and the number of macrophages increased. The metastasis of the cancer cells in the lungs was significantly inhibited at a higher d ose of Coral Calcium.. Coral Calcium exerted an inhibitory effect on the me tastases of the cancer cells to the lungs by activating natural killer (NK) cells and macrophages, thus resulting in preventing the proliferation of c ancer cells. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Inc.