Objectives:

This study aims to investigate the anti-tumoral, anti-angiogenic and immunologic effects of interleukin-12 (IL-12) in combination with protamine in intracranially inoculated rat C6 glioma model.

Material and methods:

A 12-week-old 60 female Sprague-Dawley rats with a mean weight of 208±19 g were divided into six groups: C6 glioma cells were inoculated in group A; tumor in combination with recombinant IL-12 (rIL-12) 10 ng were inoculated intracranially in group B; rIL-12 10 ng intracranially with protamine 60 mg/kg subcutaneously were given to group C; protamine subcutaneously was given to group D; vehicle was given subcutaneously to group E; rIL-12 10 ng was subcutaneously given with protamine and tumor was inoculated in group F.

Results:

Intracranial rIL-12 and protamine exerted both anti-tumoral and anti-angiogenic effects (p=0.001). Intracranial rIL-12 administration significantly diminished peripheral blood Th2 cell ratio (p=0.03) and improved survival of the rats (p=0.001). Protamine monotherapy or in combination with IL-12 showed no immunologic alteration in T helper cell population.

Conclusion:

Recombinant IL-12 and protamine are effective against intracranially inoculated glioma, improve survival significantly as monotherapy or combination therapy and alter T helper cell cytokine secretion profile in favor of Th2 in rats.

Keywords: