Research Article Open Access

Aqueous Extract of Inonotus bliquus (Fr.) Pilat (Hymenochaetaceae) Significantly Inhibits the Growth of Sarcoma 180 by Inducing Apoptosis

Caifa Chen1, Weifa Zheng1, Xiaowen Gao1, Xiaoyan Xiang1, Dongxu Sun1, Jiangchun Wei1 and Chengcai Chu2
  • 1 Xuzhou Normal University, China
  • 2 Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology Chinese Academy of Sciences, China

Abstract

Inonotus obliquus (Fr.) Pilat (Hymenochaetaceae) has been widely used as a folk medicine to treat various cancers in Russia, Poland and most of Baltic countries for literally more than four centuries. However, in spite of its therapeutic significance for cancers, this fungus has not been studied systematically for the mechanisms of antitumor activity. In this study, we report the effects of aqueous extracts of I. obliquus (AEI) on inducing apoptosis of Sarcoma 180. AEI prepared from the sclerotium of I. obliquus was either administered to Sarcoma 180-bearing mice or supplemented into the culture of Sarcoma 180 cells. Oral administration of AEI significantly inhibited Sarcoma 180-induced reduction of splenic lymphocytes and proliferation potentials and elicited over-expression of bax gene in Sarcoma 180 cells, leading to the regression of Sarcoma 180 in mice. Supplementation of AEI into the culture of Sarcoma 180 cells resulted in a significant increase in the number of cells in G0-G1 phase and triggered remarkable increment in programmed death (apoptosis) of Sarcoma 180 cells. In addition, AEI showed stimulatory effect on TNF-α release by mice peritoneal macrophages. These results indicated that the antitumor activity of AEI was mediated by protecting splenic lymphocytes from tumor-induced apoptosis and by triggering apoptosis of tumor cells.

American Journal of Pharmacology and Toxicology
Volume 2 No. 1, 2007, 10-17

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3844/ajptsp.2007.10.17

Submitted On: 6 December 2006 Published On: 31 March 2007

How to Cite: Chen, C., Zheng, W., Gao, X., Xiang, X., Sun, D., Wei, J. & Chu, C. (2007). Aqueous Extract of Inonotus bliquus (Fr.) Pilat (Hymenochaetaceae) Significantly Inhibits the Growth of Sarcoma 180 by Inducing Apoptosis. American Journal of Pharmacology and Toxicology, 2(1), 10-17. https://doi.org/10.3844/ajptsp.2007.10.17

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Keywords

  • Inonotus obliquus
  • aqueous extract
  • apoptosis
  • antitumor activity