ABSTRACT
Objective: To evaluate the effect of Modified Shenqi Dihuang Decoction (MSDD) on human hormone-sensitive LNCaP prostate cancer cells and its action mechanism. METHODS: LNCaP prostate cancer cells were treated with MSDD, followed by detection of the proliferation and apoptosis of the cells by MTT assay and flow cytometry respectively and measurement of glucose uptake and lactate production by glucose uptake assay and colorimetry respectively. The expressions of the apoptosis-related proteins Bcl-2, Bax and cleaved-caspase-3, glycolysis-related proteins HK2, GLUT1, PKM2 and LDHA, and PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway-related proteins in the LNCaP cells were determined by Western blot. The effect of MSDD on the LNCaP cells was observed with the glycolysis inducer oligomycin and the PI3K activator 740 Y-P. RESULTS: MSDD inhibited the proliferation, induced the apoptosis, increased the levels of Bax and cleaved-caspase 3 and decreased the level of Bcl-2 in the LNCaP cells in a dose-dependent manner. After MSDD intervention, the glucose uptake and lactate production in the LNCaP cells were significantly reduced, the expressions of HK2, GLUT1, PKM2 and LDHA and the phosphorylation levels of Akt, PI3K and mTOR were markedly suppressed. Oligomycin and 740 Y-P reversed the inhibitory effect of MSDD on the proliferation of the LNCaP cells, and 740 Y-P reversed that on glucose uptake, lactic acid production and the expressions of the glycolysis-related proteins HK2, GLUT1, PKM2 and LDHA in the LNCaP cells. CONCLUSIONS: Modified Shenqi Dihuang Decoction inhibits the proliferation of LNCaP prostate cancer cells by suppressing glycolysis and the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical effect of Modified Shenqi Dihuang Decoction (MSDD) on bone metastasis of hormone-sensitive PCa after castration. METHODS: Seventy-six hormone-sensitive PCa patients with bone metastasis were randomly divided into a control and an MSDD group of an equal number, the former treated by maximal androgen blockade (MAB) and the latter with MSDD in addition to MAB, both for 6 months. Comparisons were made between the two groups of patients in their TCM symptom scores, quality of life (QOL) scores and the incidence rates of castration resistance, bone metastasis and adverse events. RESULTS: Totally, 64 of the patients were included in the statistical analysis. Compared with the controls, the MSDD group showed significantly lower rates of castration resistance (71.87% vs 28.12%, P < 0.05) and new bone and visceral metastases (40.63% vs 18.75%, P < 0.05) and level of serum alkaline phosphatase after treatment (ï¼»328.5 ± 170.6ï¼½ vs ï¼»318.5 ± 165.8ï¼½ U/L, P < 0.05), as well as lower scores in the TCM symptoms of frequent micturition (2.05 ± 0.51 vs 1.64 ± 0.66, P < 0.05), loss of appetite (1.95 ± 0.48 vs 1.41 ± 0.39, P < 0.05), fatigue (2.59 ± 0.68 vs 1.39 ± 0.58, P < 0.05), back pain (1.76 ± 0.41 vs 1.26 ± 0.38, P < 0.05), weight loss (1.88 ± 0.75 vs 1.26 ± 0.80, P < 0.05) and self-evaluation (1.89 ± 0.58 vs 1.54 ± 0.63, P < 0.05), but a higher score in the physical status (Karnofsky Performance Scale) (70.45 ± 12.16 vs 79.87 ± 11.23, P < 0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in the Numeric Rating Scale for Pain score and the incidence of adverse events between the two groups of patients. CONCLUSIONS: Modified Shenqi Dihuang Decoction can effectively improve the QOL and TCM symptom scores of the patients with hormone-sensitive PCa after androgen castration, enhance the efficacy of modern drugs in the treatment of hormone-sensitive PCa, decrease the incidence of metastasis, improve the patient's serum indicators, reduce the pain associated with bone metastasis, and improve the patient's quality of life.
Subject(s)
Prostatic Neoplasms , Quality of Life , Castration , Drugs, Chinese Herbal , Hormones , Humans , Male , Prostatic Neoplasms/drug therapyABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of varicocelectomy (VCE) combined with medication of Qilin Pills (QLP) in the treatment of varicocele (VC)-associated male infertility. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data on 180 cases of VC-associated male infertility treated in our hospitals between October 2017 and March 2019, 67 by VCE ( the control group) and 113 by VCE in combination with 6-month medication of QLP after operation (the VCE+QLP group). We obtained the semen parameters from the patients before and at 1, 2, 3 and 6 months after surgery, measured their sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI) before and at 6 months after operation, and recorded the rate of pregnancy at months postoperatively. RESULTS: There were no severe complications in any of the cases after surgery or during the whole course of medication. Compared with the baseline, the patients in control group showed significant increases at 6 months postoperatively in sperm concentration (ï¼»17.1 ± 12.4ï¼½ vs ï¼»29.5 ± 14.4ï¼½ ×106/ml, P < 0.01), sperm motility (ï¼»33.6±13.5ï¼½% vs ï¼»54.5±12.0ï¼½% , P <) and the percentage of progressively motile sperm (PMS) (ï¼»22.8 ± 10.9ï¼½% vs ï¼»43.7 ± 11.7ï¼½%, P <) but a remarkable decrease in sperm DFI (16.5 ± 7.6ï¼½% vs ï¼»13.3 ± 4.4ï¼½% , P <), and so did those in the VCE+QLP group in sperm concentration (ï¼»16.8 ± 10.7ï¼½ vs ï¼»38.9 ± 24.1)×106/ml, P < 0.01), sperm motility (ï¼»32.8 ± 14.0ï¼½% vs ï¼»50.1 ± 15.0)%, P <), PMS (ï¼»21.8 ± 11.3ï¼½% vs ï¼»39.6 ± 13.3ï¼½% , P <) and sperm DFI (ï¼»17.8 ± 9.0ï¼½% vs ï¼»11.8 ± 4.8ï¼½%, P <). There were even more statistically significant differences between the control and VCE+QLP groups at 6 months in the above semen parameters (P < 0.01) and in the rate of natural pregnancy (32.8% ï¼»22/67ï¼½ vs 48.7% ï¼»55/113ï¼½, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Varicocelectomy combined with medication of Qilin Pills can effectively improve semen quality and increase the rate of natural pregnancy in the treatment of VC-associated male infertility.
