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

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.

Preparation, Characterization, and Immuno-Enhancing Activity of Polysaccharides from Glycyrrhiza uralensis

“…Our previous study showed that GUPS-C enhances the maturation and function of DCs and the antitumor efficacy of DC-based vaccine [23]. The immuno-enhancing activities of three GUPS fractions with undetectable levels of endotoxin were further investigated using the in vitro-cultured DCs and a mouse model in the current study.…”

“…uralensis roots were collected from Yili in Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, China. Polysaccharides were isolated using a previously-described procedure with some modifications [23]. In brief, 100 g of G. uralensis minced roots were extracted by 500 mL of petroleum ether twice at 60 • C for 1 h; then, the residues were collected and extracted with 500 mL of 80% ethanol twice at 60 • C for 1 h. The residues was collected and dissolved in 800 mL of distilled water.…”

“…Polysaccharides are one of the most abundant components in G. uralensis, which show immune-enhancing activity. Our previous study showed that G. uralensis water extract (contained 25% polysaccharides) enhanced the maturation and function of DCs, and exhibited antitumor efficacy on human papillomavirus (HPV)-DC vaccine [23]. Cheng et al purified glycyrrhiza polysaccharides and found that the polysaccharides could activate macrophages to increase the pinocytic activity and the production of nitric oxide, interleukin-1 (IL-1), IL-6, and IL-12 [16].…”

Herbal medicine for hand–foot syndrome induced by fluoropyrimidines: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

“…Licoricidin protected 3T3 fibroblasts against H 2 O 2 ‐induced oxidative stress (Kim, Xuan, & Park, ). Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma water extract promoted dendritic cell maturation and cytokine secretion and enhanced antitumor efficacy of human papillomavirus dendritic cell‐based vaccine (Aipire et al, ). Licoricidin could inhibit SW480 human colon cancer cells by inducing cycle arrest, apoptosis, and autophagy (Ji et al, ).…”

Pleurotus ferulaepolysaccharides improve the antitumor efficacy of therapeutic human papillomavirus dendritic cell-based vaccine

“…TC-1 tumor mouse model was used to detect the antitumor effect of HPV + PFPS + DCs. Based on our previous studies, 20,22,23 tumor volumes can reach 2000 mm 3 in tumor mice around 30 days after TC-1 cell injection. Therefore, the one-week interval immunization was chosen.…”