OBJECTIVETo explore the immune response induced by HER2/neu oncogene in the breast cancer (BC) carcinogenesis process and the immunological mechanism of Ru'ai Shuhou Recipe (RSR) in the prevention and treatment of BC.

METHODSHER2/neu transgenic spontaneous breast tumor model mice were fed with RSR from 5 weeks old, the occurrence of breast tumor in them was observed, and the changes of T cell-mediated immune response and associated cytokines were detected during the carcinogenesis process, i. e., when mice aged between 15 and 25 weeks.

RESULTSRSR showed significant effects in postponing and reducing the carcinogenesis of primary breast tumor, up-regulating the amount of T cell in splenic lymphocyte in tumor-bearing mice, promoting the proliferation of T lymphocyte, and inducing the secretion of cytokines such as interleukin-2, interleukin-12 and interferon-y.

CONCLUSIONSA serial immune response reveals in the carcinogenesis process. The immunologic function of HER-2/neu transgenic mice is significantly different to that of the same strain non-transgenic mice. Effect of RSR in preventing and postponing breast cancer carcinogenesis is possibly realized through enhancing the anti-tumor immune response of transgenic mice themselves.