A synthetic thymic hormone, THF-gamma 2, repairs immunodeficiency of mice cured of plasmacytoma by melphalan.

Abstract

BALB/c mice cured of large MOPC-315 plasmacytomas by melphalan remain deficient in their spleen T-cell functions. This was manifested by impairment of the allogeneic and the antibody responses in vitro to SRBC and in decreased numbers of T-cells including their subsets CD4 and CD8. IL-2 production and specific cytotoxicity against MOPC-315 tumor cells were, on the other hand, maintained. Treatment of these cured mice by in-vivo administration of THF-gamma 2, an octapeptide from calf thymus, repaired these deficits. This was evidenced by in vitro tests with spleen cells which manifested an increased allogeneic response and elevated generation of primary antibody response, restoration of T-cell subpopulations to normal and an enhanced IL-2 production above normal levels. The potential use of THF-gamma 2 as supportive therapy in cancer treatment is suggested.

• Authors: R Ophir, M Pecht, G Rashid, D Halperin, S Lourie, Y Burstein, S Ben-Efraim, N Trainin
• Journal: International journal of cancer (Int J Cancer) Vol. 45 Issue 6 Pg. 1190-4 (Jun 15 1990) ISSN: 0020-7136 [Print] United States
• PMID: 2141006 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Interleukin-2
• Oligopeptides
• Thymus Hormones
• thymic humoral factor gamma 2
• Melphalan

Topics

• Animals
• Cytotoxicity Tests, Immunologic
• Drug Evaluation, Preclinical
• Erythrocytes (immunology)
• Flow Cytometry
• Fluorescent Antibody Technique
• Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes (drug therapy, etiology, immunology)
• Interleukin-2 (analysis)
• Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed
• Male
• Melphalan (therapeutic use)
• Mice
• Mice, Inbred BALB C
• Mice, Inbred C57BL
• Neoplasm Transplantation
• Oligopeptides (therapeutic use)
• Plasmacytoma (complications, drug therapy, immunology)
• Spleen (drug effects, immunology)
• Thymus Hormones (therapeutic use)