ABSTRACT
ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2) combined with allicin in the treatment of pancreatic cancer and related mechanisms. MethodsA nude mouse xenograft model was established. A total of 60 nude mice were randomized into control group, rIL-2 treatment group, allicin treatment group, and combined treatment group. At 4 weeks after treatment, peripheral blood was collected, tumor volume, tumor weight, and survival time were recorded, and survival rates were calculated. Flow cytometry was used to analyze the apoptosis of tumor cells and measure the percentages of CD4+ T, CD8+ T, and natural killer (NK) cells, ELISA was used to measure the level of interferonγ (IFNγ), and Western blot was used to measure the expression of Bcl-2 protein in tumor tissue. An analysis of variance was used for comparison of continuous data between groups, and SNK-q test was used for further comparison between any two groups. ResultsAt 4 weeks after treatment, the rIL-2 treatment group, allicin treatment group, and combined treatment group showed significant reductions in tumor volume compared with the control group (all P＜0.05), and the combined treatment group showed the greatest reduction (P＜0.01). The combined treatment group had a tumor inhibition rate of 90.5% and a prolonged survival time (60% of the mice survived at 55 days). Compared with the control group, the combined treatment group showed significant increases in the apoptosis rate of tumor cells (233%±4.3% vs 90%±3.7%, P＜0.05) and the expression of pro-apoptotic protein Bcl-2. The treatment groups showed significant increases in the percentages of CD4+ T, CD8+ T, and NK cells compared with the control group (F=23.74, 26.38, and 1972, all P＜0.001). Compared with the other three groups, the combined treatment group showed a significant increase in the IFNγ level (F=9.84, P=0.026). ConclusionCombined treatment with allicin and rIL-2 can enhance the innate immunity and adaptive immunity and thus improve the survival of pancreatic cancer.