Inhibitory Effects of Dioscoreae Rhizoma and Polygalae Radix Mixture Combined with Sorafenib in Hepatoma Xenografts Model

ABSTRACT

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignancies and a leading cause of cancerrelated mortality and morbidity worldwide. Objectives: This study evaluated the enhanced efficacy of a combination of herbal medicine with sorafenib (MIX) in a transplantation tumor model induced by HepG2 cells in HCC. Materials and Methods: The HepG2 cell transplantation tumor model was established by injecting HepG2 cells subcutaneously into BALB/c nude mice. The impact of MIX on tumor growth was observed. Granzyme B was used to measure natural killer (NK) cell activity. Prognostic markers of HCC, telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT), and alphafetoprotein (AFP) were analyzed via real-time polymerase chain reaction. Additionally, inflammation and apoptosis-related markers were assessed through serum analysis and Western blotting. Results: Among the MIX groups, MIX25 (sorafenib 10 mg/kg + Dioscoreae rhizoma and Polygalae radix mixture 25 mg/kg) demonstrated the most significant effect. MIX25 effectively suppressed tumor volume and weight, enhanced apoptosispromoting proteins (Bax, Cytochrome c, and Caspase-3), and reduced apoptosis-inhibiting proteins like survivin. Furthermore, MIX25 inhibited the mitogen-activated protein kinase inflammatory response and inflammatory markers, including tumor necrosis factor-alpha and cyclooxygenase-2. The MIX25 group exhibited superior effects on NK cell activity and cancer marker genes (AFP and TERT) compared to other drug-treated groups. Conclusion: MIX25 effectively suppressed the proliferation of HepG2 cell transplantation tumors in BALB/c nude mice. It not only inhibited inflammatory markers but also enhanced cell apoptosis. Additionally, MIX25 significantly increased NK cell activity and reduced mRNA expressions of AFP and TERT. Overall, the combination of MIX25 with sorafenib shows promise as a potential treatment for patients with HCC.

KEYWORDS

• Apoptosis
• Dioscoreae rhizoma
• Polygalae radix mixture
• hepatocellular carcinoma
• HepG2 cell
• natural killer cell activity

Showing references and in-text citations exactly as published.

• DOI10.1177/09731296241262566Copy

RELATED ARTICLES

Matched on section and article type within this issue of Pharmacogn. Mag..

• Article · VOLUME 21, ISSUE 1Hepatoprotective Role of Persea americana (Lauraceae) on Eimeria papillata-induced Infection in MiceRewaida Abdel-Gaber, Esam M. Al-Shaebi, Tahani Al-Otaibi, Esam S. Al-Malki, Nawal Al-Hoshani, Saleh Al Quraishy · pp. 107–115Original Research ArticleSame type: Article
• Article · VOLUME 21, ISSUE 1Research on the Improvement of Endothelial Cell Function and Trophoblast Apoptosis in Rats with Preeclampsia by Tanshinone IIAHui Dong, Jie Song, Yanju Jia, Hongyan Cui, Xu Chen · pp. 116–123Original Research ArticleSame type: Article
• Article · VOLUME 21, ISSUE 1Study on Action and Mechanism of Potentilla discolor Bunge using Patch-Clamp to Explore the Effect of the Main Components of Potentilla discolor Bunge on Myocardial Cell MembranesYanxin Dang, Wenjie Zhao, Xiaohan Li, Yongchao Chen, Jie Liu, Lin Li, Minzhen Xie, Zhouxiu Chen, Siqi Gu, Qi Wang, Guijun Liu · pp. 124–132Original Research ArticleSame type: Article
• Article · VOLUME 21, ISSUE 1Resatovir Combined with Glycyrrhizic Acid Ameliorates Osteoarthritis and Enhances Autophagy in ChondrocytesQijie Mei, Wenfei Xu, Qi Hu, Jinrong Guo, Chao Zeng, Chunyu Ming, Chongming Li, Changshen Yuan, Kan Duan · pp. 133–141Original Research ArticleSame type: Article