by Tang Yan Chi. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 156-168). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS --- p.I / ABBREVIATIONS --- p.II / ABSTRACT --- p.V / ABSTRACT (CHINESE) --- p.VII / TABLE OF CONTENT --- p.1 / GENERAL INTRODUCTION --- p.4 / Chapter 1.1. --- Immunotherapy in Cancer --- p.4 / Chapter 1.1.2. --- Cytokines used in Immunotherapy in Cancer --- p.5 / Chapter 1.1.2.1. --- Interferons (IFNs) --- p.6 / Chapter 1.1.2.2. --- interleukins (ILs) --- p.11 / Chapter 1.1.2.3. --- Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha (TNF-α) --- p.14 / Chapter 1.2. --- Immunomodulatory and Anti-tumor Activities of Plant Polysaccharides --- p.17 / Chapter 1.3. --- Previous Studies on the Capsular Polysaccharides (CPS) from Klebsiella pneumoniae --- p.21 / Chapter 1.4. --- Activation of TNF-α Production from Macrophages by Bacterial Polysaccharides --- p.26 / Chapter 1.5. --- Chemotherapy of Cancer --- p.29 / Chapter 1.5.1. --- Types of Chemotherapeutic Drugs --- p.29 / Chapter 1.5.1.1. --- Alkylating Agents --- p.29 / Chapter 1.5.1.2. --- Plant Alkaloids --- p.31 / Chapter 1.5.1.3. --- Anti-metabolites --- p.32 / Chapter 1. 5.1.4. --- Antitumor Antibiotics --- p.32 / Chapter 1.5.2. --- Chemotherapeutic Drugs in this Project --- p.34 / Chapter 1.5.2.1. --- actinomycin D (ACT D) --- p.34 / Chapter 1.5.2.2. --- Cyclophosphamide (CY) --- p.35 / Chapter 1.5.2.3. --- Doxorubicin (Dox) --- p.37 / Chapter CHAPTER TWO --- AIM AND SCOPE OF THIS DISSERTATION --- p.40 / Chapter CHAPTER THREE --- MATERIALS AND METHODS --- p.42 / Chapter 3.1 --- MATERIALS --- p.42 / Chapter 3.1.1. --- Animals --- p.42 / Chapter 3.1.2. --- Klebsiella pneumoniae Serotype 1 and Serotype 24 --- p.42 / Chapter 3.1.3. --- Cell lines --- p.43 / Chapter 3.1.4. --- "Buffers, culture media and chemicals" --- p.43 / "POLYCLONAL RABBIT ANTI-ACTIVE ERK1/2, ANTI-ACTIVE JNK 1/2 AND ANTI-ACTIVE P38WERE FROM PROMEGA. POLYCLONAL RABBIT ANTI-TOTAL JNK1, ANTI-TOTAL P38WERE FROM SANTA CRUZ. MONOCLONAL ANTI-MOUSE TOTAL ERK1 AND POLYCLONAL ANTI-RABBIT TOTAL ERK2 WERE PURCHASED FROM ZYMED" --- p.50 / Chapter 3.2. --- METHODS --- p.51 / Chapter 3.2.1. --- "Extraction, Purification and Characterization of K1 and K24 Capsular Polysaccharides (CPS) from Klebsiella pneumoniae" --- p.51 / Chapter 3.2.1.1. --- Extraction and Purification of K1 and K24 Klebsiella Capsular Polysaccharides (CPS) --- p.51 / Chapter 3.2.1.2. --- Gel filtration of K1 and K24 Klebsiella Capsular Polysaccharides --- p.52 / Chapter 3.2.1.3. --- Characterization of K1 and K24 Capsular Polysaccharides --- p.52 / Chapter 3.2.3. --- Assay for Macrophage Activating Activities of Klebsiella Capsular Polysaccharides --- p.55 / Chapter 3.2.3.1. --- Tumour Necrosis Factor-α (TNF-α) Production by Peritoneal Macrophages --- p.55 / Chapter 3.2.3.2. --- Effect of Capsular Polysaccharides on the activities of MAPK family in murine macrophages --- p.56 / Chapter 3.2.4. --- Assay for Anti-Tumor Activities of Klebsiella Capsular Polysaccharides --- p.63 / Chapter 3.2.4.1. --- Assay of in vivo Suppression of EAT growth by K1 and K24 Capsular Polysaccharides --- p.63 / Chapter 3.2.4.2. --- Assay of the Effect of CPS on the Survival of EAT-Bearing Mice --- p.64 / Chapter 3.2.5. --- "Assay for Anti-Tumor Activities of Combined Treatment of Klebsiella Capsular Polysaccharides and Chemotherapeutic Drugs (Actinomycin D (Act D), Cyclophosphamide (CY) and Doxorubicin (Dox)" --- p.65 / Chapter 3.2.5.1. --- "Assay of the Cytotoxic Effect of Chemotherapeutic Drugs： Actinomycin D (Act D), Cyclophosphamide (CY) and Doxorubicin (Dox), on wehi-164 cell line" --- p.65 / Chapter 3.2.5.2. --- "Assay of the Combined Treatment of the CPS and Chemotherapeutic Drugs (Act D, CY and Dox) on WEHI-164 cell line in vitro" --- p.66 / Chapter 3.2.5.3. --- Assay for Anti-Tumor Effect of Chemotherapeutic Drugs (Act D，CY and Dox) on EAT-bearing Mice in vivo --- p.67 / Chapter 3.2.5.4. --- "Assay of the Combined Treatment of the CPS and Chemotherapeutic Drugs (Act D, CY and Dox) on EAT-bearing Mice in vivo" --- p.68 / Chapter 3.2.5.5. --- "Assay of the Combined Treatment of the CPS and Chemotherapeutic Drugs (Act D, CY and Dox) on the survival of eat-bearing mice in vivo" --- p.72 / Chapter CHAPTER FOUR --- "EXTRACTION, PURIFICATION & CHARACTERIZATION OF KLEBSIELLA K1 & K24 CAPSULAR POLYSACCHARIDES" --- p.76 / Chapter 4.1. --- Extraction and Purification of K1 and K24 Capsular Polysaccharides from Klebsiella pneumoniae Serotype 1 and Serotype 24 --- p.76 / Chapter 4.2. --- Gel Filtration Chromatography of K1 and K24 Capsular Polysaccharides --- p.77 / Chapter 4.3. --- Characterization of K1 and K24 Capsular Polysaccharides --- p.81 / Chapter CHAPTER FIVE --- EFFECT OF THE K1 & K24 CAPSULAR POLYSACCHARIDES ON THE MACROPHAGE ACTIVITIES --- p.83 / Chapter 5.1. --- Effect ofK1 and K24 Capsular Polysaccharides on the in vitro induction of TNF- α Production of Murine Peritoneal Macrophages --- p.83 / Chapter 5.2. --- Effect of Capsular Polysaccharides on the activities of MAPK family in murine macrophages --- p.87 / Chapter CHAPTER SIX --- ANTI-TUMOR ACTIVITIES ON MURINE TUMOR CELL LINES OF KLEBSIELLA K1 &K24 CAPSULAR POLYSACCHARIDES --- p.94 / Chapter 6.1. --- Effect of K1 and K24 Capsular Polysaccharides on the In vivo Anti-tumor Activities on EAT-bearing Mice --- p.94 / Chapter 6.2. --- In vivo Anti-tumor Effect on the Survival of EAT-Bearing Mice by Treatment of K1 and K24 CPS --- p.97 / Chapter CHAPTER SEVEN --- "ANTI-TUMOR ACTIVITIES OF COMBINED TREATMENT OF KLEBSIELLA K1 &K24 CAPSULAR POLYSACCHARIDES AND CHEMOTHERAPEUTIC DRUGS: ACTINOMYCIN D, CYCLOPHOSPHAMIDE AND DOXORUBICIN" --- p.100 / Chapter 7.1. --- "Cytotoxic Effect Chemotherapeutic Drugs： Actinomycin D (Act D), Cyclophosphamide (CY) and Doxorubicin (Dox), on WEHI-164 cell line" --- p.100 / Chapter 7.2. --- "Cytotoxic Effect of the Combined Treatment of the CPS and the Chemotherapeutic Drugs (Act D, CY and Dox), on WEHI-164 cell line" --- p.104 / Chapter 7.3. --- "Anti-Tumor Effect of Chemotherapeutic Drugs (Act D, CY and Dox) on EAT-bearing Mice in vivo" --- p.111 / Chapter 7.4. --- "Combined Treatment of the CPS and Chemotherapeutic Drugs (Act D, CY and Dox) on the EAT Growth in vivo" --- p.115 / Chapter 7.5. --- "Combined Treatment of the CPS and Chemotherapeutic Drugs (Act D, CY and Dox) on the Survival of EAT-bearing Mice in vivo" --- p.122 / Chapter CHAPTER EIGHT --- GENERAL DISCUSSION --- p.135 / Chapter 8.1. --- "Extraction, Purification and Characterization of K1 and K24 Capsular Polysaccharides from Klebsiella pneumoniae Serotype 1 and Serotype 24" --- p.135 / Chapter 8.2. --- Effect of K1 and K24 Capsular Polysaccharides on the Macrophage Activation --- p.140 / Chapter 8.3. --- Anti-tumor Activities on Murine Tumor Cell LInes of Klebsiella K1 and K24 Capsular Polysaccharides --- p.145 / Chapter 8.4. --- "Anti-tumor Activities of Combined Treatment of K1 and K24 Capsular Polysaccharides and Chemotherapeutic Drugs： Actinomycin D, Cyclophosphamide and Doxorubicin" --- p.148 / Chapter CHAPTER NINE --- CONCLUSIONS AND FUTURE PERSPECTIVES --- p.152 / BIBLIOGRAPHY --- p.156