[Antitumor effect of recombinant Xenopus laevis vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) as a vaccine combined with adriamycin on EL4 lymphoma in mice].
OBJECTIVE
To explore the antitumor effect of immunotherapy with recombinant Xenopus laevis vascular endothelial growth factor (xVEGF) as a vaccine combined with adriamycin on lymphoma model in mice.


METHODS
EL4 lymphoma model was established in C57BL/6 mice. Mice were randomized into four groups: combination therapy, adriamycin alone, xVEGF alone and normal saline (NS) groups, and then were given relevant treatments. The growth of tumor, the survival rate of tumor-bearing mice, and the potential toxicity of regimens above were observed. Anti-VEGF antibody-producing B cells (APBCs) were detected by enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) assay. In addition, microvessel density (MVD) of tumor was detected by immunohistochemistry, and tumor cell apoptosis was also detected by TUNEL staining.


RESULTS
The tumor volumes of mice were significantly smaller in combination group than those in other three groups (P < 0.05). Complete regression of tumor was observed in 3 of 10 mice in combination group. Forty-eight days after inoculation of tumor cells, the survival rate of mice was significantly higher in combination group than in NS group (P < 0.01). The anti-VEGF APBC count in combination group or xVEGF group was significantly higher, compared with that in adriamycin group or NS group (P < 0.01). MVD in tumor tissues was significantly lower in combination group than those in other three groups (P < 0.05). Moreover, tumor cell apoptosis was significantly higher in combination group than those in other three groups (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
In this experimental study, the use of xVEGF vaccine and adriamycin as a combination of immunotherapy with chemotherapy has sucessfully produced synergistic antitumor effect on lymphoma in mice.
Niu
Ting
T
The State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Department of Hematology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
Liu
Ting
T
Jia
Yong-Qian
YQ
Liu
Ji-Yan
JY
Wu
Yang
Y
Hu
Bing
B
Tian
Ling
L
Yang
Li
L
Kan
Bing
B
Wei
Yu-Quan
YQ
D000818:Animals; D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007167:Immunotherapy; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000628:therapy*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D011897:Random Allocation; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014612:Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014982:Xenopus laevis
D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014612:Vaccines; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D004317:Doxorubicin