Anticachectic effects of Coptidis rhizoma, an anti-inflammatory herb, on esophageal cancer cells that produce interleukin 6.
Herbs as alternative cancer therapies have attracted a great deal of recent attention due to their low toxicity and costs. In this study, the antitumor activity and anticachectic effect of Coptidis rhizoma, an anti-inflammatory herb, were investigated in nude mice carrying a human esophageal cancer cell line YES-2, which constitutively secretes interleukin-6 (IL-6) and induces cachexia when injected into these mice. In this study, in vivo growth of YES-2 cells was not affected by an oral supplement containing the extract powder of C. rhizoma at a final concentration of 1% (CR supplement). However, in comparison with normal diet, CR supplement significantly attenuated weight loss of tumor-bearing mice without a change in food or water intake. Tumor IL-6 levels were significantly lower in mice treated with CR supplement than in control mice (P<0.001). Serum IL-6 was detectable in four (50%) of eight control mice; IL-6 was not detected in mice treated with CR supplement. We also confirmed that berberine (8-32 microM), a major component of C. rhizoma, dose-dependently inhibited secretion of IL-6 by YES-2 cells in vitro. Moreover, reverse transcription-PCR assay showed that treatment of YES-2 cells with berberine (8-32 microM) for 24 h reduced IL-6 mRNA expression. Our results suggest that C. rhizoma may have an anticachectic effect on esophageal cancer and an effect is associated with the ability of berberine to down-regulate tumor IL-6 production.
Iizuka
N
N
Department of Bioregulatory Function, Yamaguchi University School of Medicine, 1-1-1 Minami-kogushi, Ube, 755-8505, Yamaguchi, Japan. iizuka@po.cc.yamaguchi-u.ac.jp
Miyamoto
K
K
Hazama
S
S
Yoshino
S
S
Yoshimura
K
K
Okita
K
K
Fukumoto
T
T
Yamamoto
S
S
Tangoku
A
A
Oka
M
M
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001599:Berberine / Q000494:pharmacology; D002100:Cachexia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D015536:Down-Regulation; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D015850:Interleukin-6; D010936:Plant Extracts; D001599:Berberine