Anti-cancer And A Synergistic Effect Of Rhizoma Paridis Saponins

Rhizoma Paridis saponins (RPS) are famous traditional Chinese medicine have broad-spectrum antitumor activity and deemed effective for the treatment of cancer disease before. In the present study, we evaluated the role of RPS on urethane-induced lung carcinogenesis in C57BL/6 mice. Intriguingly, the mixture showed stronger and more effective anti-tumor effects than any single compound used alone. These findings provided a synergistic antitumor effect of Rhizoma Paridis Saponins on cancer cells.In this study, the treatment with RPS reduced severity of histopathology on urethane-induced lung tumorigenesis in mice. The mechanisms of its antitumor effect involved in (?) reducing oxidative stress injury through up-regulation of Nrf2 and HO-1, (?)decreasing the level of inflammatory factors, like COX-2 and PGE2, (?) activation of caspase-3 through the down-regulation of anti-apoptotic protein (Bcl2) and up-regulation of pro-apoptotic protein (Bax), (?) decreasing the expression of PCNA, and (?) inhibiting epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)/PI3K/Akt pathway. In conclusion, RPS would be a potent agent inhibiting lung cancer in the future.Polyphyllin I (PPI) and formosanin C (FC) were regarded as effective and imperative components isolated from Rhizoma Paridis saponins (RPS) and exhibited strong anti-tumor effects on a variety of cancers. In this study, the viability was detected by MTT assay. The combination index (CI) analysis was used to assess their synergistic effect. Consequently,there was a synergistic anti-tumor effect between PPI and FC at a ratio of 1:1. The CI value was less than 1.0. Their combination significantly increased their single G1 phase arrest and mitochondria-dependent apoptotic pathway. Meanwhile, PPI&FC reduced the ability of cell migration. In conclusion, polyphyllin I and formosanin C showed a synergistic anti-tumor effect on hepatocarcinoma cells. The findings would a rationale for exploring the potential benefits of the combination for treatment of cancer in future.