Antineoplastic effects of erufosine on Graffi myeloid tumour in hamsters

Cancer has become one of the most significant health challenges for both human and veterinary medicine. The present study examined the antineoplastic and antimetastatic activity of the novel membrane-targeting anticancer agent erufosine. The antitumour effects of erufosine on Graffi virus-induced experimental myeloid tumour in hamsters was assessed by histopathological methods and evaluation of some biometric parameters of tumour growth. Two schemes of experimental antitumour therapy were applied - one that started simultaneously with the tumour transplantation and a second one that started after the appearance of palpable tumours. The results demonstrated protective antitumour effect of erufosine, expressed by decrease of transplantability, tumour growth inhibition, suppression of metastatic activity and extension of mean survival time. The effectivity of the experimental therapy was more pronounced when it was started simultaneously with the transplantation of the tumour cells. Presented results suggest that erufosine is a promising drug candidate for treatment of haematological malignances.

Oral administration ofLactobacillus acidophilusinduces IL-12 production in spleen cell culture of BALB/c mice bearing transplanted breast tumour

Lactic acid bacteria can affect the maturation of immune cells and their products not only in the gut but also on the systemic immune organs such as lymph nodes and spleen. In the present work, we studied the effects of oral administration ofLactobacillus acidophiluson the immune responses of BALB/c mice bearing transplanted breast tumour. Two groups of female inbred BALB/c mice, each containing nine mice as test and control, were used. TheL. acidophilusATCC4356 strain was inoculated in DeMan–Rogosa–Sharpe broth and cultivated for 24 h at 37°C. Then, it was collected by centrifugation, and was washed and suspended in PBS. Afterwards, 0·5 ml/d of this suspension, which contained 2·7 × 108 colony forming units/ml of bacteria, was orally administered to the mice by gavage, 14 d before tumour transplantation and 30 d after that with 3-d intervals. Similar to the test mice, the control mice received an equal volume of PBS. The results showed that oral administration ofL. acidophilusincreased the production of IL-12 (P < 0·05) and decreased the level of transforming growth factor β (P = 0·05) in the splenocyte culture. Moreover, the growth rate of tumour in the test mice decreased (P < 0·01), and the results of delayed-type hypersensitivity assay after 48 h were risen (P < 0·05) in comparison with the controls. Results suggest that daily consumption ofL. acidophiluscan improve the production of immunomodulatory cytokine IL-12 in the splenocyte culture, which was stimulated by tumour antigen in BALB/c mice bearing transplanted breast tumour. But further studies are needed to find out some other possible mechanisms of this effect.

Orchidectomy and the immune response. III. The effect of orchidectomy on tumour induction and transplantation in mice

The effects of orchidectomy in Balb C mice on the induction and transplantation of tumours which are not obviously hormone dependent were studied. Orchidectomy prolongs the interval between subcutaneous injection of methylcholanthrene and appearance of subcutaneous sarcoma. In tumour transplantation experiments orchidectomy conferred a slight but significant protective effect when meth A tumour cells (which are syngeneic with Balb C mice) were grown in ascitic form and when the same cells grew as a solid subcutaneous tumour protection was increased. Protection was counteracted by administration of a.l.s. and partially abrogated by thymectomy combined with orchidectomy, findings that suggest alteration of cell mediated immunity as the mechanism of protection. Combination of cyclophosphamide treatment with orchidectomy increased the antitumour effect of orchidectomy alone. In contrast orchidectomy accelerates the appearance of spontaneous leukaemia in AKR mice which is known to be thymus dependent. The explanation is probably that orchidectomy, by causing thymic hypertrophy increases the number of cells at risk of malignant transformation. It is suggested that some of the beneficial effects of the endocrine treatments of cancer may result from alteration of host immunity and have therefore, a range of application wider than in the management of endocrine dependent tumours alone.