Antimetastatic and immunomodulating properties of a new herbal prescription, Bojung-bangam-tang.
We investigated the antimetastatic effect of Bojung-bangam-tang, a new herbal prescription, on liver metastasis by the inoculation of colon 26-L5 carcinoma cells into the portal vein. Oral administration of Bojung-bangam-tang for 15 days from day 7 before tumor inoculation significantly inhibited liver metastasis in a dose-dependent manner. Bojung-bangam-tang enhanced the mitogenic activity of BALB/c whole splenocytes induced by various mitogenic stimuli. Oral administration of Bojung-bangam-tang, by itself, could not induce the production of interleukin (IL)-12 or IFN-gamma by macrophages, but enhanced the potential of macrophages to produce cytokines in response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Experiments using macrophage- or natural killer (NK) cell-deficient mice revealed that the antimetastatic effect of Bojung-bangam-tang is mediated by macrophages rather than NK cells. Bojung-bangam-tang caused a marked increase of production of Th1 cytokine (IFN-gamma) and decrease of production of Th2 cytokine (IL-4) by splenocytes stimulated with concanavalin A (Con A). These results indicated that oral administration of Bojung-bangam-tang inhibited the liver metastasis of colon 26-L5 cells through a mechanism leading to a Th1 dominant immune state and activation of macrophages. Thus, Bojung-bangam-tang may be useful for the prevention of cancer metastasis.
Lee
Soo Jin
SJ
Department of Pathogenic Biochemistry, Institute of Natural Medicine, Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University, 2630, Sugitani, Toyama 930-0194, Japan.
Saiki
Ikuo
I
Hayakawa
Yoshihiro
Y
Nunome
Shinyu
S
Yamada
Haruki
H
Kim
Sung-Hoon
SH
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008114:Liver Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000556:secondary; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D018664:Interleukin-12; D007371:Interferon-gamma