Resistance to facultative intracellular bacterial pathogens depends on acquired cell-mediated immunity and activation of macrophages by T- lymphocytes. Gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) is believed to be an important mediator of acquired cell-mediated immunity. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of Hochu-ekki-to (HET) on the survival rate and cytokine production with Salmonella infection model by using EL-4-bearing C57BL/6 mice. 1) When HET was administered orally to the tumor-bearing mice, it extended the survival time compared with non-treated controls in experimental infection by virulent strain 116-54. 2) The effect of HET on production of IFN-gamma in cultured splenocytes was tested by using the tumorbearing mice immunized with attenuated live SER strain. Spleen cells prepared from the mice treated with HET produced high levels of IFN-gamma compared with non-treated controls.
The results indicated that orally administered-HET enhanced protective ability to primary Salmonella infection and production of IFN-gamma accompanied by vaccination in EL-4-bearing C57BL/6 mice.

We performed combination therapy with modified oxaliplatin/l-LV/5-FU (mFOLFOX) in a patient with recurrent colorectal cancer who had peritonitis carcinomatosis. In this patient, mFOLFOX therapy resulted in disappearance of ascites and a decrease in carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9), and improved quality of life (QOL) of the patient. This 62-year-old man was diagnosed with ascending colon cancer and metastatic cancer of the liver. Right hemicolectomy and right hepatic lobectomy were performed. We had started to treat with TS-1 in ambulatory care, however, he had peritonitis carcinomatosis with massive ascite reservoir on CT and peritoneal dissemination after a half year postoperatively. Furthermore, his ECOG Performance Status (PS) was rated as level 3. Therefore, we performed puncture of ascites and palliative mFOLFOX6 therapy. After ten courses, ascites and abdominal induration had disappeared and PS recovered to level 1. At present, CPT-11/l-LV/5-FU (FOLFIRI) are being administered for peripheral neuropathy and metastatic tumor associated with mFOLFOX6. The patient is spending his daily life satisfactory after FOLFIRI without abdominal swelling or ascites, and thus mFOLFOX6 may be an option for palliative therapy against massive ascites in patients with advanced colorectal cancer. The usefulness of palliative mFOLFOX6 therapy for patients with massive ascites should be evaluated in a well-designed clinical trial.Palliat Care Res 2008; 3(2): 316-320