In Vivo Anti-Cancer Mechanism of Low-Molecular-Weight Fucosylated Chondroitin Sulfate (LFCS) from Sea Cucumber Cucumaria frondosa

• Published in: Molecules
• Main Authors: Xiaoxiao Liu, Yong Liu, Jiejie Hao, Xiaoliang Zhao, Yinzhi Lang, Fei Fan, Chao Cai, Guoyun Li, Lijuan Zhang, Guangli Yu
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2016
• Subjects: low-molecular-weight fucosylated chondroitin sulfate; anti-metastasis; anti-angiogenesis; Lewis lung carcinoma; mechanism; NF-κB; Organic chemistry; QD241-441; Cucumaria frondosa
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules21050625; https://doaj.org/article/0d7964b0f549449faff0f0d74f46a5d7

The low-molecular-weight fucosylated chondroitin sulfate (LFCS) was prepared from native fucosylated chondroitin sulfate (FCS), which was extracted and isolated from sea cucumber Cucumaria frondosa, and the anti-cancer mechanism of LFCS on mouse Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) was investigated. The results showed that LFCS remarkably inhibited LLC growth and metastasis in a dose-dependent manner. LFCS induced cell cycle arrest by increasing p53/p21 expression and apoptosis through activation of caspase-3 activity in LLC cells. Meanwhile, LFCS suppressed the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), increased the expression of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) and downregulated the matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) level. Furthermore, LFCS significantly suppressed the activation of ERK1/2/p38 MAPK/NF-κB pathway, which played a prime role in expression of MMPs. All of these data indicate LFCS may be used as anti-cancer drug candidates and deserve further study.