Cartilage polysaccharide induces apoptotic cell death of L1210 cells.

We investigated the antitumor effect of a short-chain polysaccharide (PS) extracted from porcine cartilage both in L1210 leukemic cells in vitro and in mice bearing L1210 ascites tumors. Our results show that treatment with PS resulted in a significant (P < 0.01) inhibition of cell proliferation and caused apoptotic death in L1210 cells. We also found that PS increased the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 and activated caspase-9 and caspase-3 but not caspase-8. These results point to the activation of the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway in response to the treatment of L1210 cells with PS. Our results suggest that PS has the potential to provide significant natural defence against leukemias and lymphomas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]