title: Antitumor effects and chemical compositions of Eupolyphaga sinensis Walker ethanol extract.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Eupolyphaga sinensis Walker popularly known as "preferred drug to regulate blood flow" are traditionally used in folk medicine in the treatment of ecchymoma, posttraumatic wound, hepatic fibrosis and tumor.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To characterize chemical compositions and to evaluate the antitumor and immunomodulatory of Eupolyphaga sinensis Walker ethanol extract (ESEE) in hepatocarcinoma H(22) bearing mice.
  
  
  METHODS
  ESEE was obtained by ethanol reflux extraction and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) after methylation. ICR mice were treated with ESEE for 14 consecutive days at doses of 31mg/kg (low-dose), 62mg/kg (mid-dose) and 124mg/kg (high-dose) after H(22) tumor cells were implanted. At the end of the experiments, the tumor weight of each mouse was measured. Levels of serum TNF-α and IFN-γ was assayed by ELISA. Protein expressions of Bax, Bcl-2 and caspases-3 were detected by immunohistochemistry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Chemical analysis revealed the presence of 6 components that account for 97.55% of fatty acids, indicating the occurrence of saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Oral administration of ESEE could inhibit tumor growth, promote Th1 type cytokine productions (TNF-α and IFN-γ) and induce apoptosis of hepatocarcinoma via increase of Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and activation of caspases-3. Oral administration of ESEE in a dosage of 6.2g/kg did not lead to toxic effects in mice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ESEE was effective in inhibiting tumor growth in vivo and could also serve as immunoadjuvant for tumor therapy.
authors.affiliation: College of Basic Medical Science, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, China.
authors.forename: Gang-Feng
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Ge
authors.forename: Chen-Huan
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Zhen-Hua
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Dong-Liang
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Qiao-Feng
authors.initials: QF
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D005591:Chemical Fractionation; D003058:Cockroaches / Q000737:chemistry; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D000431:Ethanol / Q000737:chemistry*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D012997:Solvents / Q000737:chemistry*; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D013997:Time Factors; D047368:Tumor Burden / Q000187:drug effects; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; C494827:Bax protein, mouse; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D010936:Plant Extracts; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D012997:Solvents; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D000431:Ethanol; D007371:Interferon-gamma; C505409:Casp3 protein, mouse; D053148:Caspase 3