| Author: | Wong, Yee Wa |
| Title: | The effect of Huachansu Injection as an anti-cancer immunomodulatory traditional Chinese medicine on circulating micro-RNAs |
| Degree: | M.Sc. |
| Year: | 2012 |
| Subject: | Cancer -- Genetic aspects. Medicine, Chinese. Cancer -- Treatment. Hong Kong Polytechnic University -- Dissertations |
| Department: | Department of Health Technology and Informatics |
| Pages: | xiii, 94 leaves : ill. ; 30 cm. |
| Language: | English |
| Abstract: | Cancers or malignant neoplasms are one of the major causes of death in the world. In Hong Kong, cancers account for 31.2% of all deaths in 2009. The conventional cancer treatment procedures can cause harmful side effects and lead to a limited treatment outcome. The use of Traditional Chinese Medicine has been considered as an alternative approach of cancer therapy in the past decades. MicroRNA (miRNA) is a class of small, non-coding RNA molecules that regulate gene expressions. miRNAs were found to play important roles in many cellular process as well as in the immune system development. Differential expression of specific miRNAs was observed in a variety of human diseases including cancers, indicating that dysregulation of miRNAs is involved in the pathogenesis of a number of cancers of the immune system. Modulation of miRNA expressions to restore the normal function of the immune system could be a therapeutic approach for cancer. Huachansu Injection (HCSI) is an anti-cancer Traditional Chinese Medicine and is currently used in China to treat certain cancers. The immunomodulatory effect of Huachansu had been demonstrated on DCs, cytokines and NK cells. However, the effect of Huachansu on miRNA expression was seldom investigated. We hypothesize that Huachansu may up-regulate the expression of tumor suppressive miRNAs and down-regulate oncogenic miRNAs expression. In a mouse cancer model experiment, eleven tumor-bearing mice were divided randomly into two groups, Vehicle (V) group (n=6) and HCSI (H) group (n=5). Mice in H and V groups were given daily an intraperitoneal injection of HCSI (40 μL/g) and Phosphate buffered saline (PBS) respectively. After 12 days, blood was taken from the two groups and plasma was separated. Circulating miRNA profiling was performed on two plasma samples from V group and one sample from H group by array. Results were compared between H and V groups and among the V group. Individual miRNA was selected for validation of array results by qRT-PCR. The effect of HCSI on tumor growth was not demonstrated in the present study since no statistically significant difference in tumor weight between the two groups was observed. From the array results, mmu-miR-384-5p and mmu-miR-20b in H group were highly up-regulated and down-regulated, respectively, when compared to V group. However, we cannot validate the effect of HCSI on these two circulating miRNAs by qRT-PCR. When comparing the tumor weights within the V group, the expression of circulating mmu-miR-138* was positively correlated to the tumor weight, but no significant difference in expression between H and V groups was found. Lastly, the expression of mmu-miR-133b was not correlated to the tumor weight. |
| Rights: | All rights reserved |
| Access: | restricted access |
Files in This Item:
| File | Description | Size | Format | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| b25514817.pdf | For All Users (off-campus access for PolyU Staff & Students only) | 1.92 MB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
Copyright Undertaking
As a bona fide Library user, I declare that:
- I will abide by the rules and legal ordinances governing copyright regarding the use of the Database.
- I will use the Database for the purpose of my research or private study only and not for circulation or further reproduction or any other purpose.
- I agree to indemnify and hold the University harmless from and against any loss, damage, cost, liability or expenses arising from copyright infringement or unauthorized usage.
By downloading any item(s) listed above, you acknowledge that you have read and understood the copyright undertaking as stated above, and agree to be bound by all of its terms.
Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:
https://theses.lib.polyu.edu.hk/handle/200/6844