Reduction of Side Affects of Anticancer Drugs by Active Hexose Correlated Compound (AHCC)

 

Sun. B., Mukoda, T., Kosuna, K., and Okada, F.

 

 

Bio-Chemistry Department. Amino Up Chemical, Co. Ltd, and Cancer Institute. Hokkaido University School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan.

Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research. Volume 40 March 1999

 

Summary

Active Hexose Correlated Compound (AHCC), mycelia extracts of cultured basidiomycetes, was examined in animal models to relieve side effects, such as anemia, alopecia and liver injury induced by anticancer drugs. 1. Male ddY mice were treated with fluorouracil (5-FU, 50 mg/kg) or cyclophosphamide (CY, 100 mg/kg) or both daily for 14 days by l.p. and AHCC was given in a 5% diet (or the same period. Treatment with 5-FU or/and CY resulted in body weight loss, decrease in the numbers of peripheral cells in blood and polychromatic erythro-cyles in bone marrows and were significantly restored by coadministration with AHCC. 2. Male and female SD rats received cytosine arabinoside (Ara-C, Lp., 50 mg/kg. daily) for 7 days. AHCC was given for the same period by either p.o. (500 mg/kg). Lp. (500 mg/kg) or local swabbing 0% AHCC-solution). The rats treated with Ara-C showed severe alopeda (50-100% hair toss). However, coadminls-tration of Ara-C with AHCC protected from alopecia, especially when AHCC was given p.o. in which only slight alopeda (0-50% hair loss) was observed. 3. Male ddY mice were treated with mercaptopurine (6-MP, 30 mg/kg) and metholrexate (MTX. 2.5 mg/kg) by p.o. tor 4 weeks. AHCC was given at a dose of 1 g/kg simultaneously. Treatment with 6-MP and MTX resulted in the decreases of body weight gain, serum albumin and triglyceride levels, liver drug-metabolism enzyme activities and the increases of liver weights. sGPT and sGOT levels obviously. The liver injury was significantly improved by the coadministratlon with AHCC. The results show that AHCC relieved the side effects induced by anticancer drugs in animals.