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23-Hydroxybetulinic acid from Pulsatilla chinensis (Bunge) Regel synergizes the antitumor activities of doxorubicin in vitro and in vivo

Authors Zheng, Yuanting; Zhou, Fang; Wu, Xiaolan; Wen, Xiaozhou; Li, Yannan; Yan, Bei; Zhang, Jingwei; Hao, Gang; Ye, Wencai; Wang, Guangji

Journal JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY , APR 21 2010,3:128

DOI 10.1016/j.jep.2010.02.004 PubMed 20176097

Abstract Ethnopharmacological revelance: Pulsatilla chinensis (Bunge) Regel has been used as adjuvant in chemotherapy in traditional Chinese medicine. 23-Hydroxybetulinic acid, an isolated pentacyclic triterpene, is the major active constituent of Pulsatilla chinensis (Bunge) Regel.Aim of this study: To evaluate the combinational anticancer effect of 23-hydroxybetulinic acid and doxorubicin in vitro and in vivo.Materials and methods: The effect of combination treatment with 23-hydroxybetulinic acid and doxorubicin was evaluated with a quantitative combination index method based on the median-effect analysis in various cancer cell lines. And in vivo efficacy of combination chemotherapy was also evaluated using ICR mice bearing sarcoma 180 carcinoma tumors.Results: 23-Hydroxybetulinic acid showed a synergistic cytotoxic effect on multiple cancer cell lines by combined use with doxorubicin. In vivo studies further demonstrated that co-administration of 23-HBA significantly improved the sensitivity of the tumor to doxorubicin through increasing intra-tumor doxorubicin concentration and inhibiting doxorubicin-induced up-regulation of P-gp in tumor.Conclusion: These results suggest that the combined therapy with 23-hydroxybetulinic acid and doxorubicin may be a new promising strategy to promote the clinical chemotherapy, which needs further verification. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Species covered 白头翁 Pulsatilla chinensis