title: Antitumor Effects and Biological Mechanism of Action of the Aqueous Extract of the Camptotheca acuminata Fruit in Human Endometrial Carcinoma Cells.
abstract: The aqueous extracts of the leaves and fruit of Camptotheca acuminata have long been used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for treating cancer patients. The chemotherapeutic drug, camptothecin (CPT), and related analogs were first isolated from C. acuminata in the 1970s. Although the antitumor effects of CPT have been characterized in recent years, the antitumor effects of aqueous extracts of C. acuminata have not been clarified. The aims of our current study were to determine the tumor-suppression efficiency of an aqueous extract of the fruit of C. acuminata (AE-CA) in the human endometrial carcinoma cell lines, HEC-1A, HEC-1B, and KLE, and compare its antitumor effects with those of CPT. Cell viability assays indicated that a dosage of AE-CA containing 0.28 mg/mL of CPT demonstrated enhanced cytotoxicity, compared with CPT treatment. The effects of AE-CA on the induction of cell cycle arrest, the accumulation of cyclin-A2 and -B1, and the activation of caspase-3 and caspase-7 were similar to those of CPT. Furthermore, AE-CA exhibited a synergistic effect on the cytotoxicity of cisplatin in HEC-1A and HEC-1B cells. These results indicated that AE-CA is a potent antitumor agent and can be combined with cisplatin for the treatment of human endometrial cancer.
authors: Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan.
authors: Chi-Shian
authors: CS
authors: Lin
authors: Department of Surgery, Chi Mei Hospital Chiali, Tainan 170, Taiwan.
authors: Pin-Chien
authors: PC
authors: Chen
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan ; Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei Medical University Hospital, 252 Wu Hsing Street, Taipei 110, Taiwan ; Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan ; Department of Chinese Medicine, Taipei Medical University Hospital, 252 Wu Hsing Street, Taipei 110, Taiwan.
authors: Chien-Kai
authors: CK
authors: Wang
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan ; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei 110, Taiwan.
authors: Chia-Woei
authors: CW
authors: Wang
authors: Cancer Research Center, Taipei Medical University and Hospital, Taipei 110, Taiwan ; Department of Surgery, Taipei Medical University and Hospital, Taipei 110, Taiwan ; Division of General Surgery, Department of Surgery, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei 110, Taiwan ; Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan.
authors: Yu-Jia
authors: YJ
authors: Chang
authors: Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei Medical University Hospital, 252 Wu Hsing Street, Taipei 110, Taiwan ; Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan.
authors: Cheng-Jeng
authors: 0000-0001-9497-2414
authors: CJ
authors: Tai
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan ; Department of Chinese Medicine, Taipei Medical University Hospital, 252 Wu Hsing Street, Taipei 110, Taiwan ; Traditional Herbal Medicine Research Center, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei 110, Taiwan.
authors: Chen-Jei
authors: 0000-0001-7304-6489
authors: CJ
authors: Tai