Marine drug Haishengsu increases chemosensitivity to conventional chemotherapy and improves quality of life in patients with acute leukemia.
BACKGROUND
Pharmacological management of acute leukemia remains a challenge. A seashell protein Haishengsu (HSS) has been found to exert anticancer activities in recent in vitro studies. The aim of this study was to determine whether the addition of HSS to the conventional chemotherapies would increase chemosensitivity and improves quality of life in patients with acute leukemia.


METHODS
Two hundred and forty-eight patients with acute leukemia were enrolled in a double-blind, and placebo-controlled study. In addition to conventional chemotherapy, 142 patients received HSS and 106 received placebo. In an in vitro study, the expression of P-gp was evaluated by flow cytometry in a drug-resistant leukemia cell line (K562/ADM cells). Sorcin was examined by Western blot.


RESULTS
The complete remission rates in the HSS treatment group were all higher than in the placebo group with non-relapsing leukemia and relapsed leukemia (p<0.05). Less patients in the HSS group experienced gastrointestinal side effects from chemotherapy, whereas more patients had increased food take and an increase in Karnofsky performance status (KPS) score (p<0.01). In vitro, the expression of P-gp and sorcin in the HSS treated cells were lower than in the control group cells (p<0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
When added to conventional chemotherapy, HSS improves the complete remission rates and quality of life in patients with acute leukemia. The in vitro findings indicate that suppression of P-gp and sorcin genes in leukemia cells may be involved in the beneficial effects of HSS.
Department of Hematology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, PR China; Department of Hematology, Liaocheng People's Hospital, Liaocheng, Shandong 252000, PR China.
Guang-Yao
GY
Li
Department of Hematology, Liaocheng People's Hospital, Liaocheng, Shandong 252000, PR China.
Li
L
Zhang
Department of Hematology, Liaocheng People's Hospital, Liaocheng, Shandong 252000, PR China.
Ji-Zhu
JZ
Liu
Haisheng Oncology Hospital of Qingdao, Qingdao, Shandong 266031, PR China.
Shou-Guo
SG
Chen
Department of Hematology, Liaocheng People's Hospital, Liaocheng, Shandong 252000, PR China.
Tai-Wu
TW
Xiao
Department of Hematology, Liaocheng People's Hospital, Liaocheng, Shandong 252000, PR China.
Guo-Zhen
GZ
Liu
Department of Hematology, Liaocheng People's Hospital, Liaocheng, Shandong 252000, PR China.
Jing-Xia
JX
Wang
School of Biomedical Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2650, Australia. Electronic address: lwang@csu.edu.au.
Le-Xin
LX
Wang
Department of Hematology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, PR China. Electronic address: houming@medmail.com.cn.
Ming
M
Hou
D020168:ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000328:Adult; D000418:Albumins / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D059001:Aquatic Organisms / Q000737:chemistry*; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D018432:Drug Resistance, Multiple / Q000187:drug effects; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm / Q000187:drug effects; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020014:K562 Cells; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics; D010919:Placebos; D011788:Quality of Life; D012008:Recurrence
D020168:ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 1; D000418:Albumins; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D010919:Placebos; C503113:SRI protein, human; C532636:haishengsu
Clinical outcome; Drug-resistant leukemia cell line K562/ADM; Haishengsu; Leukemia; Quality of life