The immunosuppressive effects of low molecular weight chitosan on thymopentin-activated mice bearing H22 solid tumors

In the present study, the low molecular weight of chitosan (CS) was prepared and its activity on thymopentinactivated mice bearing H22 solid tumors was further researched. The purity and molecular weight of CS were determined by UV and HPGPC spectra, and its immunosuppressive effects on H22 tumor-bearing mice were evaluated through determination on immune organs, cells and cytokines. Results showed that CS contained little impurities with the average molecular weight of 1.20 x 104 Da. The in vivo antitumor experiments demonstrated that CS facilitated to destroy immune organs (thymuses and spleens), suppress immune cells (lymphocytes, macrophages and NK cells) activities and reduce immune-related cytokines (TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma, IL-2 and IL-4) expressions of H22 tumor-bearing mice even with simultaneous TP5 stimulation. Our data suggested that CS could not be applied to improve immune response in cancer-bearing patients, but might be employed for treatments on autoimmune diseases or organ transplant patients.

Automated summary

This study investigated the immunosuppressive effects of low molecular weight chitosan on mice with solid tumors, revealing its ability to disrupt immune organs, suppress immune cell activity, and decrease the expression of immune-related cytokines. The findings suggest that chitosan may not enhance immune response in cancer patients, but could be utilized in the treatment of autoimmune diseases or organ transplant recipients.