Resurgence of killing and in vivo protection mediated by lymphocytes cultured from lymph nodes draining Moloney sarcomas

Dang-Gui-Bu-Xai-Tang modulated the immunity of tumor bearing mice

Dang-Gui-Bu-Xai-Tang (DGBXT), which includes Radix Angelicae Sinensis and Radix Astragali Membranaceus, is a traditional Chinese medicine used to modulate the lymphocyte activity of cancer patients after chemotherapy and radiotherapy. In the present study, we examined the cytotoxicity of DGBXT on transformed cells and the immunomodulating effects of DGBXT in a tumor-bearing murine model. DGBXT markedly inhibited the growth of the EJ-Ha-ras transformed LZEJ and LZEJ-C2 cells lines. Oral administration of DGBXT for three weeks significantly prevented the tumor development in mice that injected with LZEJ-C2 cells subcutaneously. Moreover, DGBXT effectively increased the population of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) and NK cells, and down-regulated activated T helper cells (CD4+/CD25+) in spleen and tumor-draining lymph nodes (TDLN). Furthermore, DGBXT stimulated the production of tumor necrosis factor-alpha in in vitro cultured splenocytes. These results might explain the antitumor effects of DGBXT.

In vivo macrophage-mediated tumor cytotoxicity in the mouse

Tumor-bearing animals injected with either LPS-activated or control macrophages were capable of suppressing tumor growth in vivo. Tumor growth rate and survival times were assessed for each group of animals. At day 12 after injection of the P815 tumor cells, no difference in tumor size could be demonstrated in any of the groups. However, by day 17 the tumors in the animals treated with 2.5 X 10(6) or 5 X 10(6) control as well as LPS-activated macrophages did not continue to increase in size as was seen in the case of the control animals. When examining survival times, it appeared that the animals treated with control or activated macrophages generally survived approximately 10 days longer than did the animals receiving no treatment (30-day vs 20 day survival). Thus, it appears that tumor cell growth can be slowed down in vivo when control or activated macrophages are injected into the site of the tumor mass.