Antitumor Activity and Possible Mechanism of Crude Polysaccharides from Discorea bulbifera L. on the Mice Bearing U14 Cervical Carcinoma

Abstract

To explore the antitumor activity of crude polysaccharides of Dioscorea bulbifera L. (DBLP) and its possible mechanism, the effects of DBLP on the tumor growth in vivo, thymus and spleen weight were examined. Apoptosis of thymus, spleen and tumor tissue in tumor-bearing mice was detected by the flow cytometry. The number of CD4+ and CD8+ T-lymphocyte subsets of peripheral blood was also determined by means of FACScan flow cytometer. Our results showed that U14 cervical carcinoma growth could be inhibited, thymus weight be increased, apoptosis of thymus and spleen be decreased, and apoptosis of tumor be increased by DBLP in tumor-bearing mice. Furthermore, DBLP had the abilities to reduce the ratio of CD4+/CD8+ T-lymphocyte according to CTX group. These results indicated that DBLP could suppress the cervical carcinoma through modulating immune response of the tumor-bearing mice and inducing apoptosis of tumor tissue.