Effect of anti-asthma Chinese medicine Chuankezhi on the anti-tumor activity of cytokine-induced killer cells.
- Author:
Jing-Jing ZHAO
1
;
Ke PAN
;
Qi-Jing WANG
;
Zheng-Di XU
;
De-Sheng WENG
;
Jian-Jun LI
;
Yong-Qiang LI
;
Jian-Chuan XIA
Author Information
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- MeSH: Animals; Apoptosis; drug effects; CD3 Complex; metabolism; CD56 Antigen; metabolism; Cell Line, Tumor; drug effects; Cytokine-Induced Killer Cells; cytology; drug effects; immunology; Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; Drugs, Chinese Herbal; isolation & purification; pharmacology; Epimedium; chemistry; Female; Humans; Interferon-gamma; metabolism; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Mice, Nude; Morinda; chemistry; Neoplasm Transplantation; Plants, Medicinal; chemistry; Tumor Burden; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; metabolism
- From:Chinese Journal of Cancer 2013;32(10):553-560
- CountryChina
- Language:English
- Abstract: Chuankezhi (CKZ), a new Chinese medicine, plays an important role in immunoregulation. Cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells have been commonly used for immunotherapy in recent years. In this study, we aimed to investigate the immunoregulatory effect of CKZ on CIK cells. Peripheral blood monocytes were isolated from healthy donors, and CIK cells were generated by culturing monocytes with interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) and interleukin 2. Different concentrations of CKZ were added on day 2. After incubation for 14 days in culture, the antitumor effects of CIK cells were measured by cytotoxicity assay. Flow cytometry was used to explore the effect of CKZ on CIK cell immunophenotype, intracellular cytokine production, and apoptosis. The effect of CKZ on the antitumor activity of CIK cells in nude mice was also investigated. CKZ increased the percentage of CD3+CD56+ CIK cells but did not significantly change the percentage of CD4+, CD8+, or CD4+CD25+ CIK cells. CKZ-conditioned CIK cells showed a greater ability to kill tumor cells, as well as a higher frequency of IFN-γ and TNF-α production, compared with the CIK cells in the control group. CKZ also suppressed the apoptosis of CIK cells in vitro. Furthermore, CKZ combined with CIK cells had a stronger suppressive effect on tumor growth in vivo than the CIK, CKZ, or normal saline control groups. Our results indicate that CKZ enhances the antitumor activity of CIK cells and is a potential medicine for tumor immunotherapy.
