Arabinogalactan blockade of experimental metastases to liver by murine hepatoma.

Blocking of organ-specific experimental metastasis was investigated in a syngeneic tumor-host system using a new tumor which primarily colonizes the liver upon intravenous injection. The study included systemic treatment with D-galactose and arabinogalactan as well as cell pretreatment with arabinogalactan and two other glycoconjugates. Treatment with arabinogalactan reduced the amount of liver metastases and prolonged the survival times of the animals in both studies. Host treatment was more effective than tumor cell pretreatment. This could be an effect of arabinogalactan blockade of potential liver receptors by covering of galactose-specific binding sites.