ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:Liushen Pil is a traditional Chinese herbal formula, has the effects of heat-clearing and detoxicating, eliminating stagnation, detumescence and al eviating pain. Modern pharmacology verifies that Liushen Pil has anti-inflammatory, analgesic, cardiac, anti-viral, anti-tumor effects, and has been extensively used in the treatment of various infectious diseases and malignant cancer. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the inhibitory effects of Liushen Pil on esophageal cancer xenografts, and effects on microvessel density and vascular endothelial growth factor expression. METHODS:After reproducing nude mouse models of human esophageal cancer, 48 nude mice were randomly divided into high-dose Liushen Pil group, moderate-dose Liushen Pil group, low-dose Liushen Pil group, cisplatin group, model group and blank group. According to medication regimen, drugs were given. The growth of transplanted tumor of nude mice was dynamical y observed in each group. The nude mice were sacrificed after 20 days of treatment. Neoplasm weight was taken and the tumor-suppressing rate was calculated. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect microvessel density and the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The weight of transplanted tumor was significantly lower in the high-dose Liushen Pil group, moderate-dose Liushen Pil group, low-dose Liushen Pil group, and cisplatin group than in the model group (P<0.05). Microvessel density and the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor were obviously lower in the each Liushen Pil group than in the model group, but not as apparent as that in the cisplatin group. Results suggested that Liushen Pil can inhibit the growth of the esophageal cancer xenografts. Liushen Pil can down-regulate the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and reduce microvessel density, which is one of the tumor-inhibiting mechanism of Liushen Pil .