Effect of IL-2 and/or IL-12 gene therapy on IL gene expression and T cell subpopulation in rats with liver cancer / 第二军医大学学报

ABSTRACT

Objective: To study the effects of intrasplenic injection of IL-12 and/or IL-2 genes on serum levels of IL-2 and IL-12 and T cell activity in induced liver cancer in rats. Methods: Forty-eight rats with diethylnitrosamine induced liver cancer were equally divided into 4 groups mock-infected group, IL-2 group, IL-12 group and IL-2/IL-12 group. Retroviral vectors encoding IL-2 and/or IL-12 genes were constructed and were used to transfect packaging cell lines PE501 and PA317. The tansfected PE501 and PA317 cells were injected into rat spleen at different time points and the serum levels of IL-2 and IL-12, T cell activity and toxic effect were determined. Results: The serum levels of IL-2 and IL-12 were obviously increased in IL-2 and IL-12 group, respectively, and the increase was even more obvious in IL-2/IL-12 group. Pathological study showed that there was an increase in lymphocytes infiltration of liver tissues in IL-2/IL-12 group. Compared with mock-infected group, T cell activity markedly increased in IL-2 and IL-12 group, and that in IL-2/IL-12 group was even more active. Moreover, the acting time of IL-2/IL-12 was longer than that of IL-2 or IL-12 alone. Conclusion: Direct injection of IL-2 and/or IL-12 genes into spleen can increase the T cell activity. Combined gene therapy with IL-2 and IL-12 is superior to IL-2 or IL-12 gene alone.