title: Berberine inhibits human tongue squamous carcinoma cancer tumor growth in a murine xenograft model.
abstract: Our primary studies showed that berberine induced apoptosis in human tongue cancer SCC-4 cells in vitro. But there is no report to show berberine inhibited SCC-4 cancer cells in vivo on a murine xenograft animal model. SCC-4 tumor cells were implanted into mice and groups of mice were treated with vehicle, berberine (10mg/kg of body weight) and doxorubicin (4mg/kg of body weight). The tested agents were injected once per four days intraperitoneally (i.p.), with treatment starting 4 weeks prior to cells inoculation. Treatment with 4mg/kg of doxorubicin or with 10mg/kg of berberine resulted in a reduction in tumor incidence. Tumor size in xenograft mice treated with 10mg/kg berberine was significantly smaller than that in the control group. Our findings indicated that berbeirne inhibits tumor growth in a xenograft animal model. Therefore, berberine may represent a tongue cancer preventive agent and can be used in clinic.
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Chinese Medical Science, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yung-Tsuan
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: Jai-Sing
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Chi-Cheng
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Jo-Hua
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Chiang
authors.forename: Tsai-Chung
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jen-Jyh
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Kuang-Chi
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Ching-Lung
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: Jaung-Geng
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Jing-Gung
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Chung
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001599:Berberine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D028142:Berberis / Q000737:chemistry; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D004121:Dimethyl Sulfoxide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude; D008517:Phytotherapy; D024301:Plant Bark; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018547:Plant Stems; D027343:Rhizome; D031610:Tinospora / Q000737:chemistry; D014062:Tongue Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D023041:Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D010936:Plant Extracts; D001599:Berberine; D004317:Doxorubicin; D004121:Dimethyl Sulfoxide