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Background and the purpose of the studySelenium enriched Lactobacillus has been reported as an immunostimulatory agent which can be used to increase the life span of cancer bearing animals. Lactic acid bacteria can reduce selenium ions to elemental selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) and deposit them in intracellular spaces. In this strategy two known immunostimulators, lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and SeNPs, are concomitantly administered for enhancing of immune responses in cancer bearing mice.MethodsForty five female inbred BALB/c mice were divided into three groups of tests and control, each containing 15 mice. Test mice were orally administered with SeNP-enriched Lactobacillus brevis or Lactobacillus brevis alone for 3 weeks before tumor induction. After that the administration was followed in three cycles of seven days on/three days off. Control group received phosphate buffer saline (PBS) at same condition. During the study the tumor growth was monitored using caliper method. At the end of study the spleen cell culture was carried out for both NK cytotoxicity assay and cytokines measurement. Delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) responses were also assayed after 72h of tumor antigen recall. Serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels were measured, the livers of mice were removed and prepared for histopathological analysis.ResultsHigh level of IFN-γ and IL-17 besides the significant raised in NK cytotoxicity and DTH responses were observed in SeNP-enriched L. brevis administered mice and the extended life span and decrease in the tumor metastasis to liver were also recorded in this group compared to the control mice or L.brevis alone administered mice.ConclusionOur results suggested that the better prognosis could be achieved by oral administration of SeNP-enriched L. brevis in highly metastatic breast cancer mice model.

The immunomodulatory effects of lactic acid bacteria have been demonstrated previously. In this study, a Lactobacillus plantarum strain was selected and enriched with selenium nanoparticles for use as a new immunomodulating agent in a breast cancer murine model. 30 female inbred BALB/c mice were equally divided into a test group and a control group. For 2 weeks prior to tumor induction, each mouse received a daily oral administration of 2.5×108 CFU/ml of L. plantarum enriched with selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs), and then 1×106 4T1 cells were injected subcutaneously. After tumor induction, daily SeNP administration was repeated for 3 cycles of 7 days on/3 days off. Immunological parameters such as levels of cytokines, NK cell activity, tumor growth, and mouse survival were evaluated. The production of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IFN-γ, TNF-α, and IL-2 in spleen cell cultures was increased in test mice administered SeNP-enriched L. plantarum. The test mice also showed significant increases in NK cell activity. The tumor volumes of treated mice were decreased and their survival rate notably increased when compared to mice that received L. plantarum alone or control mice. Administration of SeNP-enriched L. plantarum can induce an efficient immune response through the elevation of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IFN-γ, TNF-α and IL-2 levels and increased NK cell activity. Therefore, this treatment may result in better cancer prognosis.

While many adjuvants have been discovered and used in research, only a few adjuvants have been permitted for use with human vaccination. We have previously shown that the administration of naloxone (NLX), a general opioid antagonist, during infection with a non-virulent strain of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) could enhance protection against HSV-1 challenge. Here, the adjuvant activity of NLX has been evaluated using a DNA vaccine for HSV-1 as a model. BALB/c mice were divided into four groups; for experimental groups, mice received the glycoprotein D1 (gD1) DNA vaccine alone or in combination with the adjuvant NLX. A positive control group received the KOS strain of HSV-1, and a negative control group received PBS. All mice were immunized three times on days 0, 21 and 42. Three weeks after the last immunization, immune responses against HSV-1 were assessed. Our results indicate that the administration of NLX as an adjuvant increased the ability of the gD1 DNA vaccine to enhance cytolytic T lymphocyte activity, lymphocyte proliferation, delayed-type hypersensitivity and shifting the immune response toward a T helper (Th)1 pattern and improved protective immunity against HSV-1. NLX also increased the IgG2a/IgG1 ratio, though it did not affect the production of HSV-1 antiserum. In conclusion, administration of NLX as an adjuvant in combination with the gD1 DNA vaccine can enhance cell-mediated immunity and shift the immune responses to Th1.

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Melittin, an amphipathic 26-residue peptide, is the main component of honey bee venom. Studies have been demonstrated that melittin has an inhibitory effect on proliferation of cancer cells. However, the precise mechanism of action is not completely understood. In the present study we have shown that purified melittin from Iranian honey bee venom shows anti-cancer effects on human cervical cancer cell line through induction of apoptosis. The venom was collected from Iranian honey bee (Apis mellifera meda) and melittin isolated using reversed phase HPLC. Biological activity of melittin was analyzed by hemolytic test on human red blood cells. In order to investigate whether melittin inhibits proliferation of cervical cancer cells, the viability of the melittin treated HeLa cell line was measured via MTT assay. Finally, cell death analysis was performed using Propidum iodide and Annexin V-FITC dual staining. The results showed that the half hemolytic concentration (HD50) induced by mellitin was 0.5 µg/ml in free FBS solution. IC50 obtained after 12 h at 1.8 µg/ml by MTT assay. According to flow cytometric analysis, melittin induced apoptosis at concentrations more than 1 µg/ml. These results suggest that melittin induces apoptotic cell death in cervical cancerous cells as observed by flow cytometric assay. It is concluded that melittin could be regarded as a potential candidate in future studies to discovery of new anticancer agents.

It can be deduced that the persons of a Hot nature had more sympathetic nervous system activity, less adrenal sympathetic, adrenal corticosteroid, and parasympathetic nervous system activities and more deviation of the immune system toward T-helper (Th)2 responses than the persons of a Cold nature. Moreover, the activity of the sympathetic nervous system was increased and adrenal sympathetic was decreased with an increasing Warmth/Coldness ratio. Furthermore, when the person's nature veered toward extreme Warmth or extreme Coldness, the deviation of the immune system toward Th2-like responses was greater, but this increased deviation was much more marked when veering toward extreme Warmth than toward extreme Coldness.