THIS PROJECT COMPRISES AN INVESTIGATION OF POLYSACCHARIDES OF ASTRAGALUS VARIETIES THAT WILL INHIBIT CARCINOGENESIS.

THIS PROJECT COMPRISES AN INVESTIGATION OF POLYSACCHARIDES OF ASTRAGALUS VARIETIES THAT WILL INHIBIT CARCINOGENESIS. IN PHASE I, POLYSACCHARIDES FROM FIVE ASTRAGALUS VARIETIES WILL BE PURIFIED, IDENTIFIED, AND SCREENED FOR ANTI- CARCINOGENICITY. FRESH SAMPLES OF THE POLYSACCHARIDES WILL BE IDENTIFIED BY SOLUTION VISCOSITY, ACIDITY, OPTICAL ROTATION, STABILITY, MOLECULAR SIZE, AND INFRARED SPECTRA. THE POLYSACCHARIDES WILL THEN BE TESTED FOR PROTECTIVE ACTIVITY IN TWO DIFFERENT SYSTEMS. THE FIRST SYSTEM COMPRISES NIH-SWISS MICE CHALLENGED WITH A RETROVIRUS ISOLATED FROM WILD MICE THAT LEADS TO A SPLENIC LYMPHOMA. THEY WILL ALSO BE TESTED FOR PROTECTIVE ACTIVITY AGAINST MAMMARY TUMOR DEVELOPMENT IN SPRAGUE-DAWLEY RATS ADMINISTERED THE CHEMICAL CACINOGEN N-METHYL-N-NITROSOUREA. SIMILAR POLYSACCHARIDES HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO PROTECT MICE AGAINST TRANSPLANTED ASCITES TUMORS, PROBABLY BY A BIOLOGICAL RESPONSE MODIFIER MODE OF ACTION. THE PROJECT WILL BEGIN TO SYSTEMATICALLY DEFINE STRUCTURE-ACTIVITY RELATIONS IN ASTRAGALUS POLYSACCHARIDES AS INHIBITORS OF CARCINOGENESIS. THE GOAL IS A PLANT DERIVED, NONTOXIC POLYSACCHARIDE THAT WILL PREVENT THE FORMATION OF TUMORS OR AID IN THE TREATMENT OF CANCER.