Glycyrrhiza uralensis water extract enhances dendritic cell maturation and antitumor efficacy of HPV dendritic cell-based vaccine

Sci Rep. 2017 Mar 8:7:43796. doi: 10.1038/srep43796.

Abstract

Licorice has been used as herbal medicine and natural sweetener. Here, we prepared Glycyrrhiza uralensis water extract (GUWE) and investigated the effect of GUWE on the maturation and function of dendritic cells (DCs) and its adjuvant effect on DC-based vaccine. We observed that GUWE dose-dependently promoted DC maturation and cytokine secretion through TLR4 signaling pathway. The capacity of DC to stimulate allogenic splenocyte proliferation was also enhanced by GUWE treatment. Compared with control group, GUWE treated DCs pulsed with human papillomavirus (HPV)-16 E6/E7 peptides significantly inhibited the tumor growth in both early and late therapeutic groups. In early therapeutic group, the frequencies of induced regulatory T cells (iTregs: CD4+CD25-Fopx3+) and CD4+ and CD8+ T cells were significantly decreased and increased, respectively. HPV-16-specific CD8+ T cell responses were significantly induced and negatively correlated with iTreg frequencies and tumor weight. These results indicated the immunoregulatory activities of licorice.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alphapapillomavirus / immunology
  • Animals
  • Cancer Vaccines / administration & dosage
  • Cancer Vaccines / immunology
  • Cancer Vaccines / pharmacology*
  • Cell Differentiation / drug effects*
  • Cell Differentiation / immunology
  • Cell Line, Transformed
  • Dendritic Cells / drug effects*
  • Dendritic Cells / immunology
  • Female
  • Glycyrrhiza uralensis / chemistry*
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Neoplasms, Experimental / drug therapy*
  • Neoplasms, Experimental / immunology
  • Oncogene Proteins, Viral / immunology
  • Plant Extracts / chemistry
  • Plant Extracts / immunology
  • Plant Extracts / pharmacology*
  • T-Lymphocytes / drug effects
  • T-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • T-Lymphocytes / metabolism
  • Tumor Burden / drug effects
  • Tumor Burden / immunology
  • Water / chemistry

Substances

  • Cancer Vaccines
  • Oncogene Proteins, Viral
  • Plant Extracts
  • Water