Suppressed Innate Immune Response against Mammary Carcinoma in BALB/C Mice

Ivan P Jovanovic; Gordana Radosavljevic; Marija Milovanovic; Katerina Martinova; Nada Pejnovic; Nebojsa Arsenijevic; Miodrag L Lukic

doi:10.5937/sjecr13-1706

Ivan P Jovanovic Univerzitet u Kragujevcu, Fakultet medicinskih nauka
Gordana Radosavljevic Univerzitet u Kragujevcu, Fakultet medicinskih nauka
Marija Milovanovic Univerzitet u Kragujevcu, Fakultet medicinskih nauka
Katerina Martinova
Nada Pejnovic Univerzitet u Kragujevcu, Fakultet medicinskih nauka
Nebojsa Arsenijevic Univerzitet u Kragujevcu, Fakultet medicinskih nauka
Miodrag L Lukic Univerzitet u Ktagujevcu, Fakultet medicinskih nauka

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5937/sjecr13-1706

Keywords: Mice, Cells, Breast,

Abstract

Breast carcinoma is one of the leading causes of deaths among women worldwide. Immune response in breast cancer is mediated by the innate and adaptive immune cells including natural killer (NK) cells, dendritic cells (DCs) and T lymphocytes. 4T1 mammary carcinoma derived from BALB/c mice shares many characteristics with naturally occurring human breast cancer. We aimed to investigate the mechanisms of anti-tumor immunity using the experimental 4T1 breast cancer model in syngeneic BALB/c mice. After 12 days of tumor inoculation, mammary carcinoma-bearing mice had significantly decreased numbers of NKp46⁺ NK cells compared to healthy mice and lower cytotoxic activity of total splenocytes and NK cells in vitro. Also, significantly higher numbers of CD11c⁺ DCs were detected in spleens of tumor bearing mice, but the numbers of activated CD80⁺CD86⁺ dendritic cells did not differ compared to healthy mice, indicating an increased number of immature DCs in tumor-bearing mice. The data indicate that 4T1 mammary carcinoma progression in BALB/c mice is associated with suppressed innate anti-tumor immunity.