title: Kanglaite stimulates anticancer immune responses and inhibits HepG2 cell transplantation‑induced tumor growth.
abstract: Previous studies revealed that Kanglaite (KLT) exhibits antitumor and immunomodulatory activities. In the present study, we show that KLT treatment stimulated the immune response by increasing the number of T cells and natural killer (NK) cells in the blood of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. Experiments in tumor-bearing mice were further designed in order to explore the effects of KLT on the immune system and the underlying molecular mechanisms. The results showed that KLT improves the tumor cell transplantation-induced reduction in the serum level of the cytokines IFN‑γ and IL‑2, and rescues the levels of CD4+ T cells in host mice. These events enhanced the cytotoxic activities of natural killer and CD8+ T cells against the hepatic HepG2 cancer cells. KLT administration further increased the mRNA level of certain nuclear factor κB (NF‑κB)‑responsive genes in CD4+ cells. The chromatin immunoprecipitation assay showed that KLT increases the association of the NF-κB p65 subunit to the promoter regions of interleukin (IL)-2- and B-cell lymphoma (Bcl)-2-encoding genes in CD4+ T cells. Our study demonstrated that KLT is the main active ingredient of coix seed exhibiting anticancer and immunomodulatory properties. Induction of NF-κB‑mediated gene transcription in CD4+ T cells is involved in the immunomodulatory activity of KLT.
authors.affiliation: Center of Liver Transplantation, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Key Laboratory of Living Donor Liver Transplantation, Ministry of Health, Nanjing 210029, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Xinli
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Center of Liver Transplantation, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Key Laboratory of Living Donor Liver Transplantation, Ministry of Health, Nanjing 210029, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Jianjie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.affiliation: Center of Liver Transplantation, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Key Laboratory of Living Donor Liver Transplantation, Ministry of Health, Nanjing 210029, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Sen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D056945:Hep G2 Cells; D006801:Humans; D007107:Immune System / Q000187:drug effects*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D051996:Transcription Factor RelA / Q000378:metabolism; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D007376:Interleukin-2; D016328:NF-kappa B; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051996:Transcription Factor RelA; D007371:Interferon-gamma; C499781:kang-lai-te