Combination therapy with chemotherapeutics is attracting increasing attention as an important treatment option for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) due to its complex pathological characteristics. In this study, as a new therapy strategy, combination treatment of LEP-2a (a non-toxic polysaccharide from Lachnum sp.) with cyclophosphamide (CTX) was investigated. Results showed that combination treatment with LEP-2a and CTX processed a significantly synergistic anti-tumor effect in H22 tumor-bearing mice through Fas/FasL mediated caspase-dependent death pathway and mitochondria apoptosis pathway. Moreover, our study indicated that LEP-2a played a crucial role in enhancement of immune response, inhibition of tumor angiogenesis and down-regulation of survival associated proteins. Notably, side effects induced by CTX were relieved after LEP-2a treatment. These results support the conception that LEP-2a has the potential as an ideal adjuvant agent for a more effective combination therapy with CTX against HCC.
Keywords: Cyclophosphamide; Hepatocellular carcinoma; Lachnum exopolysaccharide; Synergistic anti-tumor effect.
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