Rabdosia rubescens inhibits breast cancer growth and angiogenesis.

Abstract

Investigators have shown that PC-SPES is a potent herbal mixture which has often been used by prostate cancer patients. In this study, we examined the inhibitory effects of certain individual components of PC-SPES on the in vitro proliferation of the human breast cancer cells MDA-MB231 and the human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). Our data showed that individual components of PC-SPES had varying suppressive effects on cellular proliferation, and that Rabdosia rubescens appeared to be the most potent agent in these assays. Apoptosis was up-regulated by Rabdosia rubescens, as seen in the caspase-9 and TUNEL assays. These effects may be mediated via both the MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) and the Akt kinase pathways. In mouse experiments, the extract from Rabdosia rubescens suppressed breast cancer xenograft size and decreased the tumor vessel density. We conclude that Rabdosia rubescens may potentially be used to treat or prevent breast cancer, and that the extract from this herbal source deserves further studies.

• Authors: Maryam R Sartippour, Navindra P Seeram, David Heber, Mary Hardy, Andrew Norris, Qingyi Lu, Liping Zhang, Ming Lu, Jian Yu Rao, Mai N Brooks
• Journal: International journal of oncology (Int J Oncol) Vol. 26 Issue 1 Pg. 121-7 (Jan 2005) ISSN: 1019-6439 [Print] Greece
• PMID: 15586232 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.)

Chemical References

• Angiogenesis Inhibitors
• Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic
• Drugs, Chinese Herbal
• Proto-Oncogene Proteins
• AKT1 protein, human
• Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases
• Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
• Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1
• Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3

Topics

• Angiogenesis Inhibitors (therapeutic use)
• Animals
• Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic (therapeutic use)
• Apoptosis
• Breast Neoplasms (blood supply, drug therapy, metabolism)
• Cell Proliferation (drug effects)
• Drugs, Chinese Herbal (therapeutic use)
• Endothelium, Vascular (drug effects)
• Female
• Humans
• Isodon (chemistry)
• Mice
• Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 (metabolism)
• Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3 (metabolism)
• Neovascularization, Pathologic (drug therapy, metabolism)
• Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases (metabolism)
• Proto-Oncogene Proteins (metabolism)
• Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
• Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays