Depressed natural killer cell activity in tumor-bearing rats: effect of immunotherapy and cytoreductive chemotherapy.
A single-cell cytotoxicity assay was used to determine the number of effector cells in the peripheral blood of normal and tumor-bearing Fischer 344 female rats which bound to and lysed K562 target cells. Of the blood leukocytes of normal rats 18.4 +/- 2.6% bound to K562 target cells; one-third of the conjugated target cells were killed as evidenced by trypan blue uptake. Cells isolated from the blood of rats bearing mammary adenocarcinoma R3230 or 13762 bound fewer target cells, 6.3 +/- 1.1 and 7.1 +/- 1.8%, respectively. The proportion of dead conjugated target cells was not different from that of normal rat leukocytes if the leukocytes were from rats bearing 13762 but was reduced by one-half if the leukocytes came from rats bearing R3230. Treatment of the tumor-bearing rats with cytoreductive chemotherapy returned the percentage conjugation to target cells to normal levels if the tumor growth was inhibited more than 70%. Treatment of the tumor-bearing rats with immunomodulating agents did not inhibit the growth of the tumors, but treatment with sodium ibuprofen or muramyl dipeptide increased the percentage conjugation significantly.
D000119:Acetylmuramyl-Alanyl-Isoglutamine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy; D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000818:Animals; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic / Q000187:drug effects; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D007052:Ibuprofen / Q000008:administration & dosage; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D008325:Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D014747:Vinblastine / Q000008:administration & dosage
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D000119:Acetylmuramyl-Alanyl-Isoglutamine; D014747:Vinblastine; D004317:Doxorubicin; D002945:Cisplatin; D007052:Ibuprofen