Effects of Combined Therapies with Protein-Bound Polysaccharide (PSK, Krestin®) and Fluorinated Pyrimidine Derivatives on Experimental Liver Metastases and on the Immunologic Capacities of the Hosts

An experimental model is introduced for the study of liver metastases using intrasplenically injected EL-4 and Lewis lung tumor cells. Fluorinated pyrimidine derivatives, 1-(2-tetrahydrofuryl)-5-fluorouracil and 5-fluorouracil, showed inhibitory effects on the frequencies of liver metastases. Immunosuppressive effects of these drugs were compared at the doses capable of showing 50% inhibition of the development of metastatic nodules. These derivatives strongly suppressed the phagocytic activity and the number of Kupffer cells of the liver and then the humoral response against sheep red blood cells, the delayed hypersensitivity against picryl chloride. On the contrary, combined administration of protein-bound polysaccharide (PSK) and 1-(2-tetrahydrofuryl)-5-fluorouracil showed no inhibitory effect on these activities.