Download Lycium Barbarum Polysaccharides on Tumor

Brief Introduction to Pharmacological Effect of
Lycium Barbarum Polysaccharides on Tumor Treatment
Wenting Song1, Lianying Xu2, Yuehong Xu3
Journal Name: LISHIZHEN MEDICINE AND MATERIA MEDICA RESEARCH,
2000, 10(11)
Key words: Lycium Barbarum
Lycium Barbarum Polysaccharides
Tumor
Treatment
Abstract: This paper gives out a brief introduction to the pharmacological effect of
Lycium Barbarum Polysaccharides(LBP) on the treatment of tumor, such as treating
precancerous pathological changes, controlling the development of cancerous focus,
increasing the sensibility and protection of body to radiate therapy, improving the
effect and decreasing the toxicity of chemotherapy if used together with biological
response modifier. We intend to provide reference to further exploitation and
utilization of Lycium Barbarum so as to discover a new way to select effective drugs
from Chinese traditional medicine in treatment of tumor.
The mature fruit of Lycium Barbarum tastes sweet. It has a neutral energy affinity to
liver and kidney. According to a classical medical book called A Herb Book by
Shennong, Lycium Barbarum is yin tonic and longevity tonic. It nourishes blood and
semen and builds strength in legs. In contemporary clinic, it is applied for enlarging
longevity, treating cancer, protecting liver, generating blood and improving immunity.
Tumor is a frequently found disease without satisfactory treatment. Its mortality rate
surpasses nearly any other human disease. Tumor has cause great problem in human
health and existence[1]. It is one of the most urgent tasks for drug producers and
researchers to find anticancerous drugs. Lycium Barbarum, with its tonic effects, has
been proved by many scholars of its anticancerous function, without any side effect.
It is generally believed that LBP is the functioning component in treating cancer.
This paper summarizes pharmacological effect of Lycium Barbarum revealed in the
study of the recent decade.
Treatment for Precancerous Pathological Changes
Most cancer tissue evolves from a single cell. Under the influence of outside
chemical, physical, biological factors or inside genetic, immune factors, the DNA in
the cell of our body changes and this cell turns into a mutated cell. This process is
called the start-up stage. With the influence of some other factors, the cell gradually
develops into cancer cells, which is called the accelerating stage.
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2
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SUN YAT-SEN UNIVERSITY, Guang Zhou, Guangdong(510275)
Shanghai University of T.C.M, Shanghai(200032)
People’s Hospital of Shanxi, Taiyuan, Shanxi(030012)
Brief Introduction to Pharmacological Effect of Lycium Barbarum Polysaccharides on Tumor Treatment
Lycium Barbarum has proved its blocking effect in the star-up and accelerating
stages. In vitro study for LBP’s effect on genetic toxicity conducted by Maoxuan Tao
and etc[2] found that LBP greatly decreases the frequency of sister-chromalid
exchange (SCE) in human lymphocytes with an apparent positive effect
(r=0.97,P<0.05). The result of Ames experiment also verified that LBP has notable
restrictive effect for the mutating activity of 2，7-diaminoflurorone in TA100 with an
apparent effect. (r=0.909,P<0.05). Those findings demonstrates that LBP is effective
in decreasing the genetic toxicity of certain genetic toxins. In another research,
Runling Wen and etc[3] damaged DNA with ultraviolet radiation. They then studied
the repairing ability of the damaged cell. They found that LBP is able to enhance
human DNA’s repairing ability with apparent effect(P<0.01). Further study[4]
reveals that the proliferation activity of lymphocytes of aged people who have taken
Lycium Barbarum is largely enhanced. This study proves that Lycium Barbarum
does good to maintaining the normal cell development. Limin Su and etc[5] studied
the influence of Ningxia Lycium Barbarum on diethylnitrosamine, which places a
premium on hepatic cancer of Wistsr rats. They found that Lycium Barbarum has a
certain effect on restraining rats’ hepatic cancer.
Controlling the Development of Cancerous Focus And Restraining Tumor
Growth
Jinwen Dong and etc[6] studied the anticancerous effect of Lycium Barbarum on the
body as well as cell level. They found that LBP can apparently improve the
condition of rats with cancer. It enlarges the longevity of cancerous rats(U14 rats
with cervical tumor and S180 rats with fibrosarcoma) with ascites by 41% and 85%
as well as restraining the growth of tumor cells by 81.5% and 72.99%. In vitro study
verified that LBP can apparently restrain the growth and proliferation of Hela Cell in
human cervical tumor and MGC-803 cell in human stomach tumor. It can also
restrain the clone of cancerous cells. Another study[7] found out that
Lycium Barbarum can restrain the growth of S180 cell in rats by 21.4% and that the
killing activity peripheral blood lymphocytes is apparently enhanced if patients of
galactophore cancer take micro-molecular injection after their operation. Jianning
Luo and etc[8] found in their experiment that Lycium Barbarum extract can
apparently restrain the growth of sarcoma W256 in rats by 37.7% and can enlarge
the longevity of cancerous rats with ascites by 35.8%.
Enhancing the Sensitivity for Radiate Therapy
Studies on C57BL rats and transplantable Lewis lung cancer model found that LBP
can enhance the sensitivity of the normal cells for radiate therapy largely with an
average ratio effect of 2.05 and of the acute anoxic cancer cells with certain effect
without any notable side effects[9]. Random control study on 61 cases of idiopathy
lung cancer patients demonstrates that ratio of improved patients with and without
LBP is 50.0% and 26.9% respectively, that the overall ratio of improved patients
with and without LBP is 92.3% and 57.7% and that LBP is able to enhance and
protect the immune ability of the patient under radiate therapy[10].
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Brief Introduction to Pharmacological Effect of Lycium Barbarum Polysaccharides on Tumor Treatment
Protecting the Body from Radiate Therapy
Lycium Barbarum has an apparent protecting effect against radiate therapy. Applied
during radiate theary, Lycium Barbarum is able to enhance the repair of the immune
ability damaged by radiation, to decrease radiate reaction, to protect the
hematopoietic function damaged by the therapy and to reduce the sequela and
combing symptoms. Junian Liu and etc[11] conducted a control study on cancer
patients with radiate therapy plus LBP and with radiate therapy alone. They found
that the group with both radiate therapy and LBP shows an apparently high ratio of
T3 against T4 and T4 against T8, transferring rate of lymphocytes and opsonic index
of macrophagocytes(P<0.05). The total number of white blood cell, absolute value of
lymphocytes and T cell, proportion of T3 cell and T4 cell, ration of T4 against T8,
transferring rate of lymphocytes, opsonic index of macrophagocytes in the group
with LBP are all apparently higher than that of the control group(P<0.01). Ling
Wang and etc[12] studied the effect of LBP on the repair of rats immune system
damaged by radiation. They found that rats with LBP injection have, 30 days after
the radiation, apparently higher thymus index, number of spleen cells and
proliferation MLR of LPs than that of the control group(P<0.01) and exhibit
approximately the normal level. This proves that LBP can restore the reactivity of
rats T and B lymphocytes to mitogen. Further study reveals that the reactivity of rats
with LBP to the special antibody against hetero-antigen is also apparently restored.
Qinghe Hu and etc[13] observed the protective effect of LBP on the radiated rats.
They found that the group with LBP demonstrates a much higher number of
kernelled marrow cells, number of peripheral white blood cells and permillage of
dividing testicle germ cells. This demonstrates that LBP is a good protecting agent
against radiation.
Enhancing the Effect of Chemotherapy And Reducing Its Toxicity
Zhuozhi Ouyang and etc[14] treated rats of Walker carcinosarcoma(W256) with
freezed powder liquid of LBP and cyclophosphamide(Cy). They found that LBP can
protect white blood cell from reducing cause by Cy(P<0.01). Further study[15]
found that LBP 10mg/kg is able to enhance the immune function of S180 cancerous
rats and restrain tumor cell growth. LBP can also cooperate with Cy in reducing
tumor cell growth. Weijian Sun and etc[16] treated brain cancerous C422 rats with
5-10mg/kgLBP, 60Co head radiation and carmustine. They found that they can work
together to greatly enlarge the longevity of the rats as well as to largely enhance the
immune function of the cell. Another study[15] reports that LBP5-10mg/kg can
antagonize the immune restraining effect of Cy on T cell, CTL and NK cell. After the
application of LBP, the RPI of T cell increases from 33% to 105%, the restraining
effect of Cy decreases from 51% to 19%-36% and the killing rate of NK cell
increase to 15%-16% from 9.5%. This demonstrates that LBP increases the immune
activity of T cell treated with Cy and the activity of NK cell.
Enhancing the Effect of Biologic Response Modifier And Reducing its Toxicity
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Brief Introduction to Pharmacological Effect of Lycium Barbarum Polysaccharides on Tumor Treatment
Biologic Response Modifier(BRM) restrains tumor through activating the original
power of the body. BRM are molecules and cells from the body itself which can
react against the inside and outside stimuli of the body and can maintain the
homeostasis of the inner environment. At present, the 4th mode of cancer treatment
with BRM has gained broad attention in the medical field[18]. However, BRM is
usually applied with large dosage, which brings out certain restrictive side effects.
Lycium Barbarum has broad immune enhancing effects and therefore can be taken
together with BRM to enhance its Effect and reduce its toxicity.
Guangwen Can and etc[19,20,21]studied how Lycium Barbarum, both inside and
outside the body, modulates the anticanerous effect of LAK cells. LBP 5-10mg/kg,
injected into ipC57BL/6 rats, can apparently enhance the proliferation of spleen cells.
The activity of LAK is increased by 120%-200% and outside use of IL-2 is reduced
to less than 75%. Further study reveals that LBP can enhance the activity of both
regular LAK and fast LAK cells. Yukun Qian and etc[22] reported that
Lycium Barbarum extract has bilateral effects to IL-2: Low
concentration(10-5mg/ml) enhances its production while high concentration
(1mg/ml) restrains its production. Another study[23] reveals that certain
concentration can also enhance the production of IL-2Rαand IL-Rβ. The effect of
Lycium Barbarum on IL-2 enables it to restrain the tumor growth. Other
scholars[24,25] prove that Lycium Barbarum can also enhance the production of
TNF and IFN-r to restrain tumor cells.
Prospect
Studies on the pharmacological anticancerous effects of Lycium Barbarum has been
widely carried out. The function component of Lycium Barbarum has been verified
from various perspectives of great value to the treatment of cancer. More studies on
the molecular mechanism of its anticanerous component is on the way. All those
research have laid the theoretical foundation for clinical anticancerous application of
Lycium Barbarum. It will boosts the further develop and application of
Lycium Barbarum and provide brand new methods for selecting low-toxic or
non-toxic anticancerous drugs from traditional Chinese medicine.
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Brief Introduction to Pharmacological Effect of Lycium Barbarum Polysaccharides on Tumor Treatment
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Brief Introduction to Pharmacological Effect of Lycium Barbarum Polysaccharides on Tumor Treatment
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