title: Splenectomy suppresses growth and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma through decreasing myeloid-derived suppressor cells in vivo.
abstract: The function of the spleen in tumor development has been investigated for years. The relationship of the spleen with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a huge health burden worldwide, however, remains unknown. The present study aimed to examine the effect of splenectomy on the development of HCC and the possible mechanism. Mouse hepatic carcinoma lines H22 and Hepa1-6 as well as BALB/c and C57 mice were used to establish orthotopic and metastatic mouse models of liver cancer. Mice were divided into four groups, including control group, splenectomy control group (S group), tumor group (T group) and tumor plus splenectomy group (T+S group). Tumor growth, metastases and overall survival were assessed at determined time points. Meanwhile, myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) were isolated from the peripheral blood (PB), the spleen and liver tumors, and then measured by flow cytometery. It was found that liver cancer led to splenomegaly, and increased the percentage of MDSCs in the PB and spleen in the mouse models. Splenectomy inhibited the growth and progression of liver cancer and prolonged the overall survival time of orthotopic and metastatic models, which was accompanied by decreased proportion of MDSCs in the PB and tumors of liver cancer-bearing mouse. It was suggested that splenectomy could be considered an adjuvant therapy to treat liver cancer.
authors.affiliation: Hepatic Surgery Center, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Long
authors.affiliation: Hepatic Surgery Center, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Hepatic Surgery Center, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
authors.forename: Jian-Ping
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Hepatic Surgery Center, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
authors.forename: Hui-Fang
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: Hepatic Surgery Center, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Hepatic Surgery Center, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Hepatic Surgery Center, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
authors.forename: Yan-Hui
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Hepatic Surgery Center, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
authors.forename: Zhan-Guo
authors.initials: ZG
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Hepatic Surgery Center, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China. bixiangzhang@163.com.
authors.forename: Bi-Xiang
authors.initials: BX
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Hepatic Surgery Center, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Ping
authors.initials: XP
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D051379:Mice; D000072737:Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells / Q000473:pathology; D009374:Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013154:Spleen / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013156:Splenectomy / Q000379:methods
keywords: adjuvant therapy; liver cancer; myeloid-derived suppressor cells; splenectomy