Combined use of insoluble β-glucan from the cell wall of Candida albicans and cyclophosphamide: Validation in S180 tumor-bearing mice.

BACKGROUND

Cyclophosphamide (CTX) is a widely used antitumor drug that can suppress the immune system. The effects of regulating immune response and antitumor of β-glucan from the cell wall of Candida albicans (CAIBG) have been confirmed. However, the effects of the combined use of CAIBG and CTX remain unclear and warrant further investigation.

METHODS

S180 tumor-bearing models were developed for CAIBG (100 mg/10 mL/kg) and CTX (30 mg/10 mL/kg) intervention. The weights of the body, tumor spleen, and Thymus were recorded to calculate the index of the spleen and Thymus. The spleen and Thymus were observed by hematoxylin and eosin staining, whereas the expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-1β was determined by Western blot. The survival times of mice were followed and recorded for analysis.

RESULTS

CAIBG, CTX, and combined use of CAIBG and CTX could down-regulate the tumor growth and prolong the survival time. The spleen and Thymus index significantly increased in the CAIBG + CTX group than in the CTX group, but it was lower than that in the CAIBG group. Moreover, the Thymus index was significantly lower in the CAIBG + CTX group than in the CAIBG group. The lymphocytes of the spleen and Thymus decreased significantly in the CTX group but improved significantly in the CAIBG and CAIBG + CTX groups. The expression level of TNF-α and IL-1β in the CTX+CAIBG group increased significantly compared with that in the CTX group. The survival time of the CAIBG group and CAIBG + CTX group was significantly higher than that of the CTX group.

CONCLUSIONS

CAIBG has strong treatment potential in combating tumor growth and prolonging survival time of S180 tumor-bearing mice. Combined use of CAIBG and CTX can compensate the CTX-induced immunosuppression and provide antitumor effects. Future studies are necessary to elucidate the underlying mechanism.