Trichinella spiralis--a potential anti-tumor agent

Murine forestomach carcinoma (cell line MFC), ascitic hepatoma (cell line H22) and sarcoma (cell line S180) solid tumor models were used to test the anti-tumor effect of Trichinella spiralis in vivo. Mice previously infected by oral administration of 400 viable T. spiralis larvae per mouse for 7 days were grafted with various solid tumor cell lines. Other groups of tumor-bearing mice were given caudal vein injection of crude extracts of adult and newborn larvae at 17.5, 35.0 or 70.0 mg kg(-1). These treatments to inhibit tumor growth were dose-dependent (p<0.05). The anti-proliferative activity of crude T. spiralis extract was examined in vitro at 0.035, 0.070 or 0.140 mg ml(-1) using MFC, H22, S180, human chronic myeloid leukemia cell line (K562) and hepatoma cell line (H7402), tumor cell proliferation in vitro was measured by methyl thiazolium stain and was inhibited in dose-dependent manner (p<0.05). At the same doses, crude T. spiralis extracts induced apoptosis of K562 and H7402 as detected by DNA fragmentation. Cell cycle analysis indicated that crude T. spiralis extracts, at 0.140 mg ml(-1), arrested the cell cycle of K562 and H7402 in G1 or S phase. It is concluded that T. spiralis contains anti-tumor active agent.