Inhibitory effects of Hochu-ekki-to on endometrial carcinogenesis induced by N-methyl-N-nitrosourea and 17beta-estradiol in mice.
An evaluation of the effects of a traditional Chinese herbal medicine, Hochu-ekki-to (Bu-zong-yi-qi-tang) on endometrial carcinogenesis was performed in experiments with female mice. In the short-term experiment, dietary exposure of Hochu-ekki-to (0.2% for 2 weeks) decreased the estradiol-17beta (E2)-stimulated expression levels of c-jun (P<0.001), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha (P<0.005), estrogen receptors (ER)-alpha (P<0.001) and ER-beta (P<0.005), as determined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and a Southern blot analysis in the uteri of the ovarectomized mice. In the long-term experiment, the mice were given N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU) solution (1 mg/100 g body weight) and normal saline (as controls) into their left and right uterine corpora, respectively, and then were divided into four groups. Group 1 (25 mice) was given a diet with Hochu-ekki-to and 5 ppm E2. Group 2 (25 mice) was given a diet with E2 alone. Group 3 (25 mice) was given a diet with Hochu-ekki-to alone. Group 4 (25 mice) was kept on the basal diet alone and treated as a control. The incidence of uterine endometrial cancer in the group with Hochu-ekki-to treatment was substantially lower than of the control group. The inhibitory effect of Hochu-ekki-to on endometrial carcinogenesis is thus suggested to decrease the expressions of c-jun, TNF-alpha, ER-alpha and -beta.
Onogi
Kyoko
K
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Gifu University, School of Medicine, Gifu 501-1194, Japan.
Niwa
Kenji
K
Tang
Liulin
L
Yun
Wu
W
Mori
Hideki
H
Tamaya
Teruhiko
T
D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D002273:Carcinogens / Q000633:toxicity; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004958:Estradiol / Q000633:toxicity; D005260:Female; D008770:Methylnitrosourea / Q000633:toxicity; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun / Q000187:drug effects; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000187:drug effects; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000187:drug effects
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D002273:Carcinogens; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C402943:bu-zhong-yi-qi-tang; D004958:Estradiol; D008770:Methylnitrosourea