Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To investigate anti-tumor effects of oxymatrine on S₁₈₀ and H₂₂ tumor bearing mice in vivo and in vitro,and to provide experimental basis for application of oxymatrine in treatment of cancers. METHODS: In vitro cell culture:S₁₈₀ and H₂₂ cell suspensions at logarithmic growth stage were precultured for 24 h. Mice S₁₈₀ and H₂₂ cells were divided into blank control group (RPMI-1640 medium),negative control group (un-supplemented S₁₈₀ and H₂₂ cell suspension),5-fluorouracil (5-FU,5×10^-5 g/L) positive control group and 5 different concentrations of oxymatrine (1×10^-4,1×10^-5,1×10^-6,1×10^-7,1×10^-8 g/L). After 48 h of continuous culture,proliferation inhibition rates of oxymatrine on S₁₈₀ and H₂₂ cells were detected by tetramethylthiazolyl blue (MTT) method. In vitro animal experiments using our S₁₈₀ and H₂₂ tumor-bearing mouse models were:normal control group,model group,positive control group,and oxymatrine high-dose,medium-dose and low-dose groups were set up respectively,with 10 mice in each group. Normal control group and model group were intra-gastrically fed with distilled water,high,medium and low dose mice were intra-gastrically fed with oxymatrine at different concentrations (100,50 and 25 mg/kg),and positive control group was intra-gastrically fed with cyclophosphamide at 30 mg/kg. After 8 days of continuous administration,the inhibitory rate,thymus coefficient and spleen coefficient of oxymatrine on S₁₈₀ and H₂₂ tumor bearing mice and the survival of S₁₈₀ and H₂₂ ascites tumor mice were detected. RESULTS: Our results showed that oxymatrine inhibited proliferation of S₁₈₀ and H₂₂ cells in vitro as detected with the MTT method. Results from our in vivo studies showed that oxymatrine high,medium and low dose group significantly inhibited growth of S₁₈₀ sarcoma in mice,and the tumor inhibition rate were 48.48%,41.67% and 32.58% respectively;oxymatrine high and medium dose group significantly inhibited the growth of H₂₂ sarcoma in mice,and the tumor inhibition rate were 33.95%,31.63% respectively,and the difference was statistically significant. Oxymatrine medium dose group significantly prolonged the survival time of S₁₈₀ mice. The life extension rate was 31.18%,and the difference was statistically significant. Compared with the normal group,each dose group of oxymatrine had no effect on the thymus index and spleen index in S₁₈₀ and H₂₂ mice. CONCLUSION: Oxymatrine demonstrated anti-tumor effects on S₁₈₀ and H₂₂ in vitro and in vivo.

Key words: oxymatrine, anti-tumor effect, S₁₈₀, H₂₂, mouse