Tonglian Decoction () arrests the cell cycle in S-phase by targeting the nuclear factor-kappa B signal pathway in esophageal carcinoma Eca109 cells / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the anti-tumor activity and molecular mechanism of Tonglian Decoction (, TLD) on esophageal carcinoma Eca109 cells.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Eca109 cells were treated with TLD and its separated formulae, including the clearing-heat and detoxification formula (Q), activating-blood and promoting-qi formula (H) and nourishing-yin and blood formula (Z). Cell proliferation was measured using the 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide assay, cell morphology was observed using a microscope, the cell cycle was measured using flow cytometry and the activity of the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signal pathway was detected by Western blot.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The half maximal inhibitory concentrations of TLD, Q and H were 386, 771 and 729 mg/L, respectively. TLD, Q and H significantly inhibited cell proliferation, with 69.43%, 60.84% and 61.90% of treated cells in the G phase of the cell cycle. The percentage of cells in S phase increased significantly after treatment with TLD, Q, and H compared with the control group (P<0.05), and TLD showed the strongest effect. Z had no influence on the cell cycle compared with the control group (P>0.05). Western blot detection indicated slight differences in the inhibition of the NF-κB pathway by the different formulae. TLD formula strongly inhibited IKKβ, NF-κB, interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α expression compared with the control group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>TLD inhibited Eca109 cell proliferation by arresting cells in S phase. The possible mechanism might be related to inhibiting the NF-κB transduction cascade. The combination of the herbs found in the three separate formulae, H, Q and Z, work synergistically in TLD to produce the inhibitory effects of TLD treatment on Eca109 proliferation.</p>

Hyperthermia today: electric energy, a new opportunity in cancer treatment.

Hyperthermia is an ancient, but nowadays rapidly developing treatment method in tumor-therapy. Its new paradigm applied in the electro-hyperthermia (oncothermia), which provides energy by means of electric-field and produces non-equilibrium thermal situation in the tissue. The temperature gradients formed in stationary conditions, destroy the membrane of the malignant cells and selectively eliminate the cancer tissue. The characteristic control parameter is the absorbed energy-dose, which is partly used to make the distortions, partly to increase the temperature of the target. This type of technique could be applied for some tumor sites, including brain, soft tissues, liver and abdominal masses, pancreatic cancer, head and neck tumors as well.