Herbal medicine Guan Chang Fu Fang enhances 5-fluorouracil cytotoxicity and affects drug‑associated genes in human colorectal carcinoma cells

Yu,Chen; Liu,Shen‑Lin; Qi,Ming‑Hao; Zou,Xi; Wu,Jian; Zhang,Jing

doi:10.3892/ol.2014.2766

Herbal medicine Guan Chang Fu Fang enhances 5-fluorouracil cytotoxicity and affects drug‑associated genes in human colorectal carcinoma cells

Authors:
- Chen Yu
- Shen‑Lin Liu
- Ming‑Hao Qi
- Xi Zou
- Jian Wu
- Jing Zhang
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Affiliations: Department of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, The Affiliated Jiangsu Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University and Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210009, P.R. China, Senior Expert Consultation Center, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210029, P.R. China, Department of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210029, P.R. China, Experimental Center, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210029, P.R. China, Department of Electrocardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210003, P.R. China
Published online on: December 3, 2014 https://doi.org/10.3892/ol.2014.2766
Pages: 701-708

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Abstract

Guan Chang Fu Fang (GCFF) is a natural compound, which is extracted from three medicinal plants, Agrimonia pilosa Ledeb., Patrinia scabiosaefolia and Solanum nigrum L. GCFF has demonstrated clinical efficacy in the treatment of colon cancer. At present, 5‑fluorouracil (5‑FU) is the primary active chemotherapeutic agent used for treating colon cancer. Using median‑effect and apoptosis analyses, fluorescence microscopy and western blotting, the present study analyzed the association between GCFF and 5‑FU in the human colon adenocarcinoma LoVo cell line. The effect of GCFF on the expression of chemotherapeutic agent‑associated genes was also investigated. The results of the synergistic analysis revealed that GCFF exhibited a significant effect upon 5‑FU‑associated cytotoxicity within the LoVo cell line. This effect was observed over a broad dose‑inhibition range (5‑95%), but was particularly significant in the lower concentrations. The flow cytometry results revealed that low doses of GCFF or 5‑FU induced S‑phase arrest, as did a low‑dose combination of the two drugs. After 48 h, GCFF significantly suppressed the expression levels of the chemotherapeutic agent resistance‑associated genes within the colon cancer cells. The western blot analysis revealed that the combined effects of 5‑FU and GCFF were due to a regulation of the B‑cell lymphoma‑2 family of proteins. The findings of the present study suggested that GCFF, when combined with 5‑FU, has the potential to be a novel, chemotherapeutic compound for the treatment of colon cancer.

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