Effects of Xuefu Zhuyu Tang and Mitomycin C on Liver Tumors in Mice

Background: Carcinogenesis, in traditional Chinese medicine, is defined as resulting fromthe accumulation of stagnant and toxic substances within the human body.Xuefu zhuyu tang (XZT) represents a group of herbs for 'destagnation'; andmitomycin C (MMC) is currently and widely used for cancer therapy. Weinvestigated the combined effects of XZT and MMC on mice bearing livertumors.Methods: Mice bearing experimental liver tumors were divided into 4 groups, includingtumor control, XZT-, MMC-, and combined-treatment groups. Severaleffects were observed in this study including survival rate, increase of lifespan, and mean survival time within 60 days after treatment. Survival ratesand biosynthesis activities of tumor and liver cells were also evaluated.Results: Oral administration of XZT, an intraperitoneal injection of MMC, and a combinationof the two increased the mean survival time of tumor-bearing miceby 12.5, 14.1, and 17.2 days, respectively. These 3 treatments were cytotoxicto sarcoma-180-induced liver tumor cells. The synthesis rates of deoxyribonucleicacid (DNA), ribonucleic acid (RNA), and protein by tumor cellswere all measurably inhibited by the combined treatment.Conclusion: XZT combined with MMC may be an effective modality in cancer therapy.The detailed mechanisms of these combinations in human liver neoplasmsuse to be further studied.