title: [Effect of 5-fluorouracil in combination with Astragalus membranaceus on amino acid metabolism in mice model of gastric carcinoma].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the effect of 5-fluorouracil-FU in combination with astragalus membranaceus(AM) on amino acid metabolism in mice model of gastric carcinoma induced by 3-methylcholanthrene(MC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Mice gastric carcinoma models were established by 3-methylcholanthrene induction and randomly divided into different groups, and received 5-FU treatment (group A) 5-FU plus AM (group B), 5-FU plus a high dose of AM(group C), no treatment (group D). Normal mice were used as control (group N). Free amino acid in the tumor specimens were examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The levels of free Valine, Methionine, Leucine, Arginine and cystine in the tumor specimens in group D were significantly higher than that in group N(P< 0.05). The levels of free serine in group A, B, C, D were significantly higher than that in group N. The levels of free glutamic acid in group A, B were significantly higher than that in group N(P< 0.05). The levels of free proline in group C, D were significantly higher than that in group P, N(P< 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The increasing levels of free serine and proline in tumor specimens in gastric cancer mice model reveals metabolic disturbance of amino acid. 5-FU plus astragalus membranaceus can decrease the level of free glutamic acid in the mice models, and inhibit tumor growth.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, General Hospital, Tianjing Medical University, Tianjing 300052, China.
authors.forename: Zhi-xiang
authors.initials: ZX
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.forename: De-jun
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Xiao-yu
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Li-wei
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Peng-zhi
authors.initials: PZ
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D027885:Astragalus propinquus; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude; D008517:Phytotherapy; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D005472:Fluorouracil