[Therapeutic effect of saponins combined with cyclophosphamide in mice bearing hepatocellular carcinoma H cell xenograft].

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the therapeutic effects of total saponins from (PNS) combined with cyclophosphamide (CTX) in mice bearing hepatocellular carcinoma H cell xenograft.

METHODS

We examined the effects of treatment with different concentrations of PNS on H cell proliferation for 24 to 72 h using CCK8 colorimetric assay. Annexin V/PI double fluorescence staining was used to detect the effect of PNS on apoptosis of H cells. Mouse models bearing H cell xenograft were established and treated with CTX (25 mg/kg), PNS (120, 240 or 480 mg/kg), alone or in combinations. After treatments for consecutive 10 days, the mice were euthanized for examinations of carbon clearance ability of the monocytes and macrophages, splenic lymphocyte proliferation, tumor necrosis factor (TNF-), interleukin-2 (IL-2), serum hemolysin antibody level, blood indicators, and the tumor inhibition rate.

RESULTS

Treatment with PNS concentration-dependently inhibited the proliferation and significantly promoted apoptosis of cultured H cells ( < 0.01). In the tumor-bearing mouse models, PNS alone and its combination with CTX both resulted in obvious enhancement of phagocytosis of the monocyte-macrophages, stimulated the proliferation of splenic lymphocytes, promoted the release of TNF- and IL-2 and the production of serum hemolysin antibody, and increased the number of white blood cells, red blood cells and lymphocytes in the peripheral blood. Treatment with 480 mg/kg PNS combined with CTX resulted in a tumor inhibition rate of 83.28% ( < 0.01) and a life prolonging rate of 131.25% in the mouse models ( < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

PNS alone or in combination with CTX can improve the immunity and tumor inhibition rate and prolong the survival time of H tumor-bearing mice.