Open AccessImmunological Mechanisms of Antitumor Activity of Some Kinds of Chinese Herbs: Meth A-Induced Delayed Type Hypersensitivity
Author(s) -
Hiroshi Mori,
Qunying Xu,
Osami Sakamoto,
Yoshihiko Uesugi,
Yutaka Ono,
Akihide Koda,
Itsuo Nishioka
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
japanese journal of pharmacology/japanese journal of pharmacology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1347-3506
pISSN - 0021-5198
DOI - 10.1254/jjp.48.37
Subject(s) - meth , delayed hypersensitivity , picryl chloride , lipopolysaccharide , herb , transplantation , pharmacology , medicine , immunity , immunology , medicinal herbs , immune system , chemistry , traditional medicine , monomer , organic chemistry , acrylate , polymer
In the present paper, we confirmed that a delayed type hypersensitivity response can be elicited against Meth A tumor (Meth A-DTH) in BALB/c mice bearing the primary tumor. This response was augmented by lipopolysaccharide. We examined the effects of 4 kinds of Chinese herbs including A. capillaris, S. doederleinii, A. macrocephala and S. subprostrata on the Meth A-DTH, and the results were compared with that of the herbs on picryl chloride-induced delayed type hypersensitivity (PC-DTH). All of the herbs examined augmented the Meth A-DTH 10 days after the primary tumor transplantation, and S. doederleinii, A. macrocephala and S. subprostrata prevented the decay of the response on the 20th day, but A. capillaris did not. On the other hand, none of the herbs affected the PC-DTH. When both DTH responses were caused simultaneously in the same mouse, Meth A-DTH decayed 20 days after the transplantation but PC-DTH did not. In this case, the effects of these 4 herbs on Meth A-DTH and PC-DTH were essentially the same as those seen in the case of separate experiments. The previous and present results suggest that A. capillaris shows antitumor activity mainly through a direct cytotoxicity, although this herb might have certain components to enhance Meth A-DTH, and the other herbs display the activity through the enhancement of T cell-mediated tumor immunity, particularly tumor specific DTH.