title: Anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities of ethanol extract of pendulous monkshood root in vitro.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Pendulous monkshood root is traditionally used for the treatment of several inflammatory pathologies such as rheumatisms, wounds, pain and tumors in China. In this study, the anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities and the mechanism of crude ethanol extract of pendulous monkshood root (EPMR) were evaluated and investigated in vitro.
  
  
  METHODS
  The cytotoxic effects of EPMR on different tumor cell lines were determined by the MTT method. Cell apoptosis and cell nucleus morphology were assessed by Hoechst 33258 staining. Moreover, nitric oxide (NO) levels and intracellular oxidative stress in peritoneal macrophages were determined to further elucidate mechanisms of action.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The data showed that EPMR could produce significant dose-dependent toxicity on three kinds of tumor cells. Furthermore, EPMR displayed obvious anti- inflammatory effects on LPS-induced mouse peritoneal macrophages at the dosage of 4 - 200 μg/mL. The results demonstrated the therapeutic potential of Pendulous Monkshood Root on cancer and inflammatory diseases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results indicate that EPMR has anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties, suggesting that pendulous monkshood root may be a useful anti-tumor and anti-inflammatory reagent in the clinic.
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, South-Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan, China. huangxianju1972@aliyun.com
authors.forename: Xian-Ju
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Lv-Yi
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Zhi-Nan
authors.initials: ZN
authors.lastname: Mei
mesh_terms: D031841:Aconitum / Q000737:chemistry*; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D015153:Blotting, Western; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D000431:Ethanol / Q000737:chemistry*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007249:Inflammation / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D017737:Macrophages, Peritoneal / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D010936:Plant Extracts; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D000431:Ethanol