Brief Reports
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2005. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Oct 7, 2005; 11(37): 5902-5904
Published online Oct 7, 2005. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v11.i37.5902
Effects of social isolation stress on immune response and survival time of mouse with liver cancer
Hui Liu, Zhun Wang
Hui Liu, Zhun Wang, Department of Clinical Immunology, Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116027, Liaoning Province, China
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 30370484
Correspondence to: Professor Hui Liu, Department of Clinical Immunology, Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116027, Liaoning Province, China. liuhui60@mail.dlptt.ln.cn
Telephone: +86-411-84720083
Received: February 13, 2005
Revised: March 20, 2005
Accepted: March 24, 2005
Published online: October 7, 2005
Abstract

AIM: To investigate the effects of isolation stress on mouse with liver cancer and possible associated mechanisms.

METHODS: Transplantable murine hepatoma22 (H22) model was used to evaluate the effects of social isolation stress on murine liver cancer. Mice were immunized with sheep red blood cell (SRBC) and intraperitoneally inoculated with H22 cell, then divided into two groups, one reared individually as group (I) and the other reared in groups as group (G). Titer of antibody to SRBC and interleukin 2 (IL-2) in serum was monitored. The survival time of mouse with liver cancer was observed.

RESULTS: The titer of antibody to SRBC in group (G) was 1:24.5 and that in group (I) was 1:11.2. There was a significant difference between these two groups (t = 2.60, P = 0.02). A significant difference in IL-2 concentration was observed between group (G) (39.6 ng/L) and group (I) (47.1 ng/L, t = 2.14, P = 0.046). The survival time in group (G) (16.5 d) was markedly longer than that in group (I) (13.2 d, t = 3.46, P = 0.002).

CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that survival time of the mouse bearing H22 tumor is affected by the social isolation stress and the associated mechanism may be the immunological changes under the social isolation stress.

Keywords: Liver cancer, Psychoimmunology, IL-2