Abstract
Various immunomodulators were administered to male Wistar rats for 4 months following 4-months' administration of ENNG. The effect of such immunomodulators on the incidence of cancer and the immunological parameters was studied by comparing these treated rats with control rats and those rats given only ENNG (non-treated group). The results were as follows.
The incidence of cancer was significantly lower in the groups treated with LMS, OK-432, LENT and RBS, and the incidence in the group treated with PSK also tended to be lower than in the non-treated group.
The average size (longer diameter) of ENNG-induced tumors in all treated groups was significantly smaller than in the non-treated group.
The chemotaxis of peritoneal macrophages lowered by administration of ENNG was markedly increased in the treated groups. Also comparison with the control group showed that it was significantly higher in the OK-432, LENT and RBS groups.
The lymphocyte blast formation in the peripheral blood caused by both PHA and PWM and that in the mesenteric lymph nodes caused by PHA were noticeably recovered from the lowering by administration of ENNG in all treated groups.
The lymphocyte blast formation in the mesenteric lymph nodes caused by PWM was significantly restored in the treated groups other than the RBS group. The blast formation in the peripheral blood caused by PHA was higher in the OK-432 and RBS groups, that caused by PWM was higher in the OK-432 and RBS groups, and that caused by PWM was higher in the OK-432 and LENT groups, as compared with the control group.
From the determination of the T-cell subpopulation by using monoclonal antibody, the following results were obtained. The percentage of T-cells in the mesenteric lymph nodes was markedly increased in all treated groups. In the spleen it was markedly decreased only in the non-treated group as compared with the control group, and there was no significant difference between the treated and non-treated groups. The percentage of T-cells in the in peripheral blood did not differ at all among the treated, non-treated and control groups.
The h/s lowered by ENNG in the peripheral blood, mesenteric lymph nodes and spleen was markedly increased in all treated groups.
