title: [Triplet anti-tumor therapy based on thymosin α-1 attenuates incidence of hepatoma and serum alpha-fetoprotein level in rat hepatoma model].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the impact of triple anti-tumor therapy based on thymosin α1 (Tα1) combined with Huaier granule(HG) and sirolimus on the level of serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) in rat models of liver cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into triple anti-tumor therapy group, Tα1 group, HG group, sirolimus group, positive control and blank control groups, with 15 rats in each group. Except the blank control group, the rats in the other groups were induced using diethylnitrosamine (DEN) to establish liver cancer models. After DEN treatment, the triple therapy group underwent 0.8 mg/kg Tα1 subcutaneous injection (from once a day for two weeks to twice a week since the third week), 0.35 g/kg HG gavage (three times a day) and 1 mg/kg sirolimus gavage (once a day). The dose of the rest single drug groups were the same with that of the triple therapy group. The positive control and blank control groups were not treated with the drugs. The treatment lasted 20 weeks. Then, the behavior of the rats were observed at the different time points, and the level of serum AFP in the rats were detected at 6, 16, 18, 20 weeks, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The typical symptoms of liver cancer were seen in the DEN-induced rats at 16 weeks. Since the tenth week, 6 rats died one after another. Pathological section of rat liver tissue suggested that the rat models were established successfully. According to the incidence rate of liver cancer and the survival rate at 20 weeks, the triple anti-tumor therapy was significantly superior to the single drug treatments. In addition, the triple anti-tumor therapy significantly reduced the level of serum AFP in the rats.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The triple anti-tumor therapy can significantly prolong the survival time of rats with liver cancer, decrease the cancer incidence rate and the level of serum AFP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Graduate, Hebei North University, Zhangjiakou 075000; Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Organ Transplant Center, Chinese PLA 309 Hospital, Beijing 100091, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoqian
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.affiliation: Laboratory, Organ Transplant Center, Chinese PLA 309 Hospital, Beijing 100091, China.
authors.forename: Yuxiang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Organ Transplant Center, Chinese PLA 309 Hospital, Beijing 100091, China.
authors.forename: Dehua
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Organ Transplant Center, Chinese PLA 309 Hospital, Beijing 100091, China.
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Organ Transplant Center, Chinese PLA 309 Hospital, Beijing 100091, China.
authors.forename: Zhidong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Organ Transplant Center, Chinese PLA 309 Hospital, Beijing 100091, China.
authors.forename: Jiyong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Organ Transplant Center, Chinese PLA 309 Hospital, Beijing 100091, China.
authors.forename: Likui
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Organ Transplant Center, Chinese PLA 309 Hospital, Beijing 100091, China.
authors.forename: Guosheng
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Du
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020123:Sirolimus / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016019:Survival Analysis; D000077596:Thymalfasin; D013947:Thymosin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins; D013947:Thymosin; D000077596:Thymalfasin; D020123:Sirolimus