STUDY OF CYTOKINES INVOLVED IN THE PREVENTION OF A MURINE EXPERIMENTAL

A. DE MORENO DE LEBLANC; C. MATAR; E. FARNWORTH; G. PERDIGON

Cordoba Argentina

Congreso; VII Congreso Latinoamericano de Inmunología; 2005

To study the effects of the consumption of kefir (K) or kefir cell-free fraction (KF) on the systemic and local immune responses in mammary glands (MG) and tumours using a murine hormone-dependent breast cancer model. Methods: Mice were fed with K or KF during 2 or 7 days (K-2d, K-7d, KF-2d and KF-7d). In the tumour control group (TC), mice did not receive these products. At the end of the feeding period, mice were injected with tumour cells in the MG. Four days post-injection, they received K or KF on a cyclical basis. Rate of tumour development, cytokines in serum (ELISA), MG tissue (immunofluorescence) and tumour isolated cells (immunoperoxidase) were monitored. Results: K-2d and KF2d showed delay of tumour growth (0.62±0.29; 0.3±0.05; 0.15±0.01 for TC; K; KF). Both K and KF increased IL10 in serum (the highest concentration was for KF2d 27 days after tumour injection; 576±28 pg/ml; 11.11±3 pg/ml for KF; TC) and decreased IL6+ cells (cytokine involved in estrogen synthesis) in MG. KF-2d increased IL10+ cells in MG (23±2 cells/10 fields; 16±4 cells/10 fields for KF; TC) and in tumours (12±2 cells/100; 7±2 cells/100 for KF; TC) and decreased IL6+ cells in tumour (4±2 cells/100; 23±3 cells/100 for KF; TC). Conclusions: This study demonstrated the modulatory capacity of KF (involved in the antitumour response) on the immune response in MG and tumours and the importance of the administration period to obtain this effect.