OBJECTIVETo study the in vivo anti-tumor effect of Oxytropis kansuensis alkaloid fraction (OKAF) in live cancer cell line H22 and its influence on immune function in KM mice.

METHODSSixty mice with transplanted mouse originated liver cancer cell line H22 were divided randomly into five groups, the three OKAF groups were administrated with OKAF in low (8 mg/kg), moderate (16 mg/kg) and high (32 mg/kg) dosage, the negative control group was administrated with normal saline 20 mL/kg and the positive control with 5-FU 15 mg/kg, respectively, once a day for 10 successive days. Then the average tumor weight (TW), tumor inhibition rate (TIR), spleen index (SI), and thymus index (TI) in them were calculated, and the spleen cell proliferation rate (SCPR) was measured by MTT assay.

RESULTSTIR of low, moderate and high dosage of OKAF was 23%, 29% and 43% respectively. SI and TI in all the three OKAF groups were higher than those in the negative control group, and the two indexes in the moderate and ligh dosage OKAF groups were higher than those in the positive control group (P < 0.05). SCPR in OKAF groups at 24 h, 48 h and 72 h were higher than those in both two control groups at the same time.

CONCLUSIONOKAF shows inhibitory action on liver cancer cell line H22 tumor in KM mice, and it could also enhance the immune function of mice.