The effects of Sorafenib and Natural killer cell co-injection in combinational treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma; an in vivo approach

Background Natural killer cells (NKC) and Sorafenib (Sor) are two important agents for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Over the past decade, the interaction of Sor and NKC against HCC has been widely challenging. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of NKC & Sor for the treatment of HCC in vivo. Methods Subcutaneous xenograft models of HCC were established in nude mice. For safety assessment of treatment, the kidney and liver functions were analyzed. Paraffin embedded tumor sections were histopathologically studied and immunohistochemistry (IHC) tests were done to evaluate the angiogenesis (CD34) and proliferation (Ki67) indexes. The terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay was performed to identify the tumor cells undergoing apoptosis. The serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and expression levels of major inflammatory cytokines and cytoplasmic granules in xenograft HCC were quantified using real-time PCR. Results NKC & Sor significantly inhibited necrosis and apoptosis in tumor cells and increased angiogenesis and proliferation of HCC compared to the monotherapy of NKC or Sor alone. The serum levels of TNF-α, IFN-γ as well as the expression levels of TNF-α, IFN-γ, interleukins (ILs)-1, 6, 10, granzyme-B and perforin in the xenograft HCC tissues of the treated mice with NKC & Sor were significantly lower than those of treated with NKC or Sor alone. Conclusion Therapy with the specific dosage of NKC & Sor could not inhibit the HCC xenograft growth rate through a synergistic effect in a mouse model of HCC.