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Polyprenols in oncology

Experimental study

The study was conducted in laboratory conditions on mice, in which Ehrlich adenocarcinoma and Lewis lung carcinoma were experimentally simulated. The mice were introduced polyprenols and the cytostatic of cyclophosphane in the course of the study. As a result, it was discovered that polyprenols significantly reduce the toxic effect of the cytostatic, without changing its anti-tumor activity. In addition, polyprenols have a small independent anti-tumor activity. The main conclusion is that polyprenols can be applied in clinical oncology as a means increasing life time and improving its quality.

Urazova L.N.1
Sultanov V.S.2
Kuznetsova T.I.1
Nechaev K.A.1
Roshchin V.I.3
Nikitina T.V.
Research Institute of Oncology of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Tomsk, Russia
Solagran Limited, Melbourne, Australia S.M. Kirov Academy of Forestry Engineering in Saint Petersburg, Saint Petersburg, Russia
4 I.M. Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Saint Petersburg, Russia

Introduction

In recent years, a significant amount of data has been accumulated on the application of modifiers of biological reactions, including those of plant origin, that influence the regulatory structures of the body and increase its anti-tumor resistance in the therapy of oncological diseases. Preliminary studies showed that the studied polyprenolic preparation* obtained from spruce needles (Picea abies L. karst) and containing polyprenols as an active substance, is also able to enhance the induction of interferon in the blood serum in animals, and this effect is of prolonged nature. Since anti-tumor effects of IFN preparations and their inducers have been used in the clinical practice for a long time, it seemed topical to carry out an experimental study of the anti-tumor activity of polyprenols*.

Study Purpose

Determination of efficacy of application of polyprenols* in the mono- and complex therapy of malignant tumors in the experiment.

Methods

The studies were conducted on mice of line C57B1/6 with the weight of 18-20 g. Ehrlich adenocarcinoma and a haematogenously metastatic Lewis lung carcinoma were used as experimental models. A solution of the polyprenolic preparation* in the doses of 25.0 mg/kg and 12.5 mg/kg was administered orally to animals within 14 days. The alkylating cytostatic of cyclophosphane was introduced intraperitoneally in the total dose of 180 mg/kg. The dynamics of tumor growth, metastasis inhibition index (MII) and the life span of animals were assessed. The results were statistically processed using the STATISTICA 6.0 software package.

Results

An insignificant independent anti-tumor activity of polyprenols*, depending on the dosage of the preparation and the stage of oncogenesis, was found on the models of the solid variant of Ehrlich tumors and Lewis lung carcinoma. It was established that the volume of tumors in the complex use of the polyprenolic preparation* against the background of a cytostatic was 4.2 times lower compared with the control and 1.4 times lower compared with a group of mice only treated with cyclophosphane. It is necessary to note the positive effect of polyprenols* in the complex therapy with cyclophosphane in relation to the intensity of metastasis. MII in the group of animals, treated with complex therapy, was more pronounced than that in the group receiving only a cytostatic (85.9% versus 71.8%). The ability of polyprenols* to increase the life span of mice by 50% in comparison with the control and by 25% in comparison with cyclophosphane was shown on the model of a solid Ehrlich carcinoma. An independent, as against the background of cytostatic therapy, ability of polyprenols* to significantly increase the life time of experimental animals in comparison with the control was shown on the model of Lewis lung carcinoma. It is comparable only with the analogous cytostatic therapy, which indirectly testifies to the reduction of toxicity of the cytostatic.

Conclusions

The obtained data suggest that it is possible to apply the polyprenolic preparation* in clinical oncology as a means of increasing life time and improving its quality. Polyprenols* also reduce the total toxic effect of the cytostatic, without lowering its anti-tumor activity. (Published in the proceedings of the International Conference "Development of Scientific Research and Surveillance of Infectious Diseases"/ edited by A.B. Zhebrun. — SPb.: Louis Pasteur Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology in Saint Petersburg, Federal Budgetary Institution of Science of Rospotrebnadzor (Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Well-Being), 2010.)


* A polyprenolic preparation of Ropren was used the study, which is a pure concentrate of polyprenols (the total fraction is 95%). The text of the study is provided by courtesy of Solagran.