Natural polysaccharides have promising application prospects in cancer immunotherapy due to their excellent biocompatibility and immunomodulatory effects. In this study, an acidic polysaccharide (FCP-3) from Fructus corni with good immunomodulatory effects was extracted. Stable polysaccharide‑selenium nanoparticles composites (FCP-SeNPs) were synthesized to enhance the immunoregulatory effects of FCP-3. The molecular weight and monosaccharide composition of FCP-3, as well as the morphological characteristics and chemical composition of FCP-SeNPs were analyzed. The immunological effects and anti-tumor activity of FCP-3 and FCP-SeNPs were explored. These results suggested that FCP-3 and FCP-SeNPs increased the production of NO, TNF-α and IL-12p70 in macrophages, and the ratio of CD4+/CD8+ T cells in peripheral blood, as well as indirectly promoted hepatoma cells apoptosis in vitro. After treatment with FCP-3 and FCP-SeNPs, tumor size was significantly controlled. The proliferation antigen staining (KI67) and apoptosis assay (TUNEL) also demonstrated an obvious inhibitory effect on tumor proliferation. Moreover, FCP-SeNPs showed stronger efficacy compared to FCP-3 alone. These findings demonstrated the promising potential of FCP-SeNPs as an immunoregulatory agent for hepatic carcinoma.
Keywords: Fructus corni acidic polysaccharide; Hepatocellular carcinoma; Immunomodulatory effects; Selenium nanoparticles.
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