[Antitumor activities of kushen flavonoids in vivo and in vitro].
OBJECTIVE
To explore the antitumor activities of kushen (Sophora flavescens) flavonoids (KS-Fs) in vivo and in vitro.


METHODS
Cell proliferation was assayed by using methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) method. H22 hepatocellular carcinoma and S180 sarcoma were induced in ICR mice. Lewis lung carcinoma was induced in C57BL/6 mice. H460 and Eca-109 tumor were induced in Balb/c nude mice by injecting 5x10(5) or 5x10(6) tumor cells in the right flank, respectively.


RESULTS
KS-Fs could inhibit the growth of a variety of human tumor cell lines (A549, SPC-A-1, NCI-H460, etc.) in vitro. The antitumor efficacies were confirmed in the mice models of H22, S180 and Lewis lung tumors and the nude mice models of human H460 and Eca-109 xenografted tumors. The oral or intravenous maximum tolerated dose of KS-Fs was more than 2.8 g/kg or 750 mg/kg respectively, far more than the oral medial lethal dose of kushen alkaloids (< or = 1.18 g/kg). No adverse reactions were observed.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that KS-Fs or kurarinone may be developed as a novel antitumor agent.
Sun
Ming-Yu
MY
Institute of Liver Diseases, Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China. mysun248@hotmail.com
Zuo
Jian
J
Duan
Ji-Feng
JF
Han
Jun
J
Fan
Shi-Ming
SM
Zhang
Wei
W
Zhu
Li-Fang
LF
Yao
Ming-Hui
MH
D000818:Animals; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018827:Carcinoma, Lewis Lung / Q000188:drug therapy; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D008819:Mice, Nude; D012510:Sarcoma 180 / Q000188:drug therapy; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D005419:Flavonoids; C494416:kushen