title: [Antitumor activities of kushen flavonoids in vivo and in vitro].
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Liver Diseases, Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China. mysun248@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Ming-Yu
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zuo
authors.forename: Ji-Feng
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Duan
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Shi-Ming
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Li-Fang
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Ming-Hui
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Yao
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D005419:Flavonoids; C494416:kushen