An investigation of the ability of elemene to pass through the blood-brain barrier and its effect on brain carcinomas.
OBJECTIVE
Elemene is a chemical extracted from plants. It has demonstrated anti-tumour capability. Although widely studied, there has been little reported regarding its tissue distribution. Our aim was to rectify this.


METHODS
The tissue distribution of elemene was studied after intragastric or intravenous administration in rats. The effectiveness of elemene in treating brain tumours was studied using the G-422 tumour cell model in mice.


RESULTS
Elemene had a higher concentration in the lungs, spleen and livers than other tissues of normal rats after intragastric and intravenous administration, while the concentration in the gastrointestinal tract was greater after intragastric administration. Elemene molecules were also detected in the rats' brain tissue. Elemene had a therapeutic effect on mice inoculated with G-422 cells both intracranially and subcutaneously. The best life-extending rate and the best tumour-inhibiting rate of elemene were 64.43% and 34.46%, respectively, when 80 mg/kg elemene was used for treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
The results from the tissue distribution study showed that elemene can pass through the blood-brain barrier. The therapeutic experiments showed that elemene is effective in treating cerebral malignancy.
Wu
Xue Shen
XS
Center for Biomedicine and Health, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China. xswu1@hotmail.com
Xie
Tian
T
Lin
Jing
J
Fan
Hai Zhu
HZ
Huang-Fu
Hong Jiao
HJ
Ni
Li Feng
LF
Yan
Hui Fang
HF
D000818:Animals; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier / Q000378:metabolism*; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D030024:Curcuma / Q000737:chemistry*; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008168:Lung / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D023421:Models, Animal; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013154:Spleen / Q000378:metabolism; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D023041:Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D010936:Plant Extracts; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; C038905:elemene