Antitumor activity of an extract of Cordyceps sinensis (Berk.) Sacc. against murine tumor cell lines.
A warm water-extract (ECS) prepared from dried Cordyceps sinensis (Berk.) Sacc., a Chinese traditional medicine, was tested for antitumor activity in vivo and in vitro. Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells (EAC), allogeneic to ICR mice and Meth A fibrosarcoma (Meth A), syngeneic to BALB/c mice were used as the target tumor cell lines. Mice were inoculated i.p. with 1 x 10(6) EAC or 1 x 10(5) Meth A on Day 0, and ECS or saline (control) was injected i.p. to the mice from Day 1 to Day 4. ECS-treatment increased the median survival time of the allogeneic mice inoculated with EAC to 316% of the control. Eight of the 10 ECS-treated mice survived on the 60th day (Day 60) after EAC implantation. ECS-treatment also increased the median survival time of the syngeneic mice inoculated with Meth A to 312% of the control. Half of the ECS-treated mice survived on Day 60. On the other hand, no cytotoxic effect of ECS was found on either EAC or Meth A in vitro. The antitumor effect of ECS seen in the allogeneic mice was significantly reduced when the mice received whole body X-irradiation (5 Gy) before EAC implantation. These results suggest that the antitumor effect of ECS may be mediated through its immunomodulating action.
Yoshida
J
J
Department of Pharmacology, Kanazawa Medical University, Ishikawa, Japan.
Takamura
S
S
Yamaguchi
N
N
Ren
L J
LJ
Chen
H
H
Koshimura
S
S
Suzuki
S
S
D000818:Animals; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002286:Carcinoma, Ehrlich Tumor / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005354:Fibrosarcoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy; D006999:Hypocreales / Q000737:chemistry*; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal