title: [Inhibition of the growth of hepatocarcinoma xenograft in Balb/c mice induced by dendritic cells immunized with AFP cDNA fragement].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the antitumor immune response induced by dendritic cells vaccine coding AFPcDNA fragment with signal peptide (AFP(1)) and without signal peptide (AFP(2)), and to determine the inhibiting effect of the vaccine on the growth of hepatocarcinoma xenograft in Balb/c mice.
  
  
  METHODS
  pcDNA3.1/AFP(1) and pcDNA3.1/AFP(2) were transfected into dendritic cells (DCs) by calcium phosphate nanoparticles and became DCs vaccine. Mouse spleen lymphocytes were stimulated by AFP(1)/DC and AFP(2)/DC. A Balb/c mouse model bearing mouse HCC xenograft was established on the day 14 after transplantation. Forty mice were divided equally into AFP(2)/DC group, AFP(1)/DC group and plasmid control group. The treated mice received DCs vaccine and the same amount of control plasmid.
  
  
  RESULTS
  AFP(2)/DC stimulated T lymphocytel proliferation in vitro and improved CTL activity. The effects were better than AFP(1)/DC. The tumor-bearing mice injected intralesionally with AFP(1)/DC and AFP(2)/DC at a dose of 0.5 ml per mouse showed inhibition of tumor growth and prolongation of survival time. The tumor inhibition rate of the AFP(2)/DC group was 79.2% and the AFP(1)/DC group was 39.7% at 2 weeks after treatment. The tumor volume of AFP(2)/DC group was (726.7 +/- 298.2) mm(3), significantly smaller than the (1486.2 +/- 457.2) mm(3) of the AFP(1)/DC group and (2137.2 +/- 547.2) mm(3) of the plasmid control group (P < 0.05). The mean survival time of mice in the AFP(2)/DC group [(58.5 +/- 4.2) d] and AFP(1)/DC group [(45.2 +/- 4.8) d] were significantly longer than that of plasmid control group [(30.6 +/- 6.2) d, P < 0.05]. Bax-positive cell percentage was increased in the xenografts of AFP(2)/DC-treatment group compare with that of plasmid control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  AFP(2)/DC and AFP(1)/DC vaccines show evident inhibiting effect on the growth of H22 xenograft in Balb/c mice through inducing efficient and specific immune response against the hepatocarcinoma cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, the First Hospital of Nanhua University, Hengyang, China. zbss1229@163.com
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: Ai-jun
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: Fang-gen
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Wei-yi
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002130:Calcium Phosphates / Q000494:pharmacology; D019496:Cancer Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D007114:Immunization; D008114:Liver Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D053758:Nanoparticles; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology; D014162:Transfection; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D002130:Calcium Phosphates; D019496:Cancer Vaccines; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins; C020243:calcium phosphate