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Evidence‐based of therapeutic properties of agrimonia on hepatoma in rats
Author(s) -
Ho Wing Shing,
Song Jing Zheng
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.21.6.lb17-a
Subject(s) - carbon tetrachloride , pharmacology , pheophorbide a , chemistry , ccl4 , h&e stain , aqueous extract , potency , liver cancer , mode of action , toxicity , immunohistochemistry , medicine , biology , traditional medicine , biochemistry , cancer , in vitro , organic chemistry , photodynamic therapy
Herba Agrimoniae (family Rosaceae ) was widely used in combination with other herbs for treatment of liver toxicity including liver cancer in China. However, its biologic action in the liver remains illusive. In this study, the effects of aqueous extracts of Agrimonia pilosa (AP) on hepatoma in rats were investigated. Tumor was initiated by diethylnitrosamine (DEN) and further promoted by carbon tetrachloride (CCl 4 ) in male Fischer 344 rats according to established protocol, and followed by treatment of rats with aqueous AP extracts for five months. Pathological changes including body weight and relative liver weight in rats were evaluated in a time‐course study. Histological analysis of liver sections by Hematoxylin & Eosin (H & E) was also performed. GST‐P expression was measured by the immunohistochemical study and RT‐PCR. The results showed that the active fractions of AP showed a significant inhibition of GST‐P foci formation in DEN‐CCl 4 treated rats suggesting the biological action of AP may involve inhibiting the elevated COX‐2 in the tumor growth. AP also increased GST and CYP2E1 enzyme activities. The treatment of rats with AP restored considerably the tissue damage and functions of the liver in the rat. A derivative of pheophorbide that was isolated and purified from the active fractions showed therapeutic benefits in management of hepatoma in rats. The present findings show the potency of pheophorbide derivatives for reducing cancer growth. More investigations are needed to understand its mode of action at the molecular level.