Casticin, derived from Fructus Viticis, has anticancer properties in many human
cancer cells, however, there is no report to show that
casticin promotes immune responses and affects the survival rate of
leukemia mice in vivo. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of
casticin on immune responses and the survival rate of WEHI-3 cells generated in
leukemia mice in vivo. Animals were divided into six groups: normal control mice,
leukemia control mice, mice treated with ATRA (
all-trans retinoic acid), and
casticin (0.1, 0.2, and 0.4 mg/kg) treated mice. All animals were treated for 14 days and then measured for
body weights, total survival rate, cell markers, the weights of liver and spleen, phagocytosis of spleen cells, NK cell activities and cell proliferation. Results show that
casticin did not affect animal appearances, however, it increased
body weights and decreased the weights of liver at 0.2 mg/kg and 0.4 mg/kg treatment.
Casticin also decreased spleen weight at 0.2 mg/kg and 0.4 mg/kg treatment, increased CD3 at 0.1, 0.2 and 0.4 mg/kg doses and increased CD19 at 0.2 mg/kg treatment but decreased CD11b and
Mac-3 at 0.1, 0.2 and 0.4 mg/kg treatment.
Casticin (0.1, 0.2 and 0.4 mg/kg) increased macrophage phagocytosis from PBMC (peripheral blood mononuclear cell) and peritoneal cavity. Furthermore,
casticin increased NK cells' cytotoxic activity and promoted T cell proliferation at 0.1-0.4 mg/kg treatment with or without
concanavalin A (Con A) stimulation, but only increased B cell proliferation at 0.1 mg/kg treatment. Based on these observations,
casticin could be used as promoted immune responses in
leukemia mice in vivo.