EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF THE IMPACT OF STRESS HORMONES ON THE NATURAL ANTITUMOR IMMUNE RESPONSE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15407/oncology.2026.01.031Keywords:
chronic stress, adrenaline, dexamethasone, Guerin carcinoma, antitumor immune response, natural killers, macrophagesAbstract
Summary. Aim: to investigate the effect of stress hormones on the non-specific immune response of intact rats and animals with a model tumor process. Object and methods: experimental studies were conducted on Wistar rats; Guerin carcinoma was used as a model of tumor growth. The study included determining changes in the functional activity of natural killer (NK) and peritoneal macrophages (pMph) under prolonged exposure to stress hormones. Dexamethasone and adrenaline (0.5 mg/kg body weight) were used as stress hormones. On the 7th, 14th and 21st days, the weight of the primary tumor node was determined and immunological studies were performed: determination of cytotoxic activity; assessment of NO production levels and arginase activity. Statistical processing of the results was performed using generally accepted methods of variational statistics. The difference between the compared indicators was considered significant at p < 0.05. Results: under the condition of prolonged exposure to stress hormones, the cytotoxic activity of NK was suppressed and peritoneal Mph gradually polarized to anti-inflammatory M2 type cells. The most pronounced changes in NK and Mph activity were found in rats with Guerin carcinoma under the influence of dexamethasone: a short-term statistically significant increase on the 14th day (p < 0.05) and a subsequent rapid decrease to the indicator of the control group on the 21st day. As a result of the action of adrenaline, there was a gradual decrease in NK and Mph activity. The effect of dexamethasone led to an acceleration of the growth of the model tumor: in the early stages (7–14 days) the size of the primary tumor node was practically the same in rats of all experimental groups; on the 21st day of the experiment a significant increase in its size was observed in the control group and “Dexamethasone” groups (23068 ± 2800 mm3 and 29700 ± 4300 mm3, respectively). Conclusions: long-term exposure to adrenaline and dexamethasone was accompanied by significant changes in the functional activity of the main effectors of nonspecific resistance: significant inhibition of the cytotoxic activity of NK and gradual polarization of Mph to M2 type cells, which have anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive properties. The immunosuppressive effect of dexamethasone was accompanied by an acceleration of the growth of the model tumor.
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