Effect of chondroitinases on the growth of solid Ehrlich ascites tumour.

The effect of various glycosidases on the growth of solid hypotetraploid Ehrlich ascites tumour was investigated. The purified bacterial chondroitinase-ABC significantly inhibited the growth of tumour; chondroitinase-AC inhibited the tumour to some extent but chondro-4-sulphatase, chondro-6-sulphatase, streptomyces hyaluronidase, and β-glucuronidase had no inhibitory effect. Heat-treated chondroitinase-ABC had no inhibitory effect on the tumour growth. The growth of tumour cells which were injected subcutaneously after in vitro incubation with chondroitinase-ABC or -AC solution was decreased when compared with that of sham-treated cells.The injection of 1 ml of chondroitin sulphate A and chondroitin sulphate C solution prior to tumour inoculation into the same site promoted the tumour growth, while growth-stimulating effect of chondroitin sulphate B was ambiguous. The chondroitin sulphate appears to serve as a growth supporter which protects the surface of tumour cells and promotes the physiological surface function of the cells.