Sci Rep. 2019 Feb 5;9(1):1415. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-38391-9.
Extracts of Qizhu decoction inhibit hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma in vitro and in C57BL/6 mice by suppressing NF-κB signaling.
Wan LF1, Shen JJ2, Wang YH2, Zhao W3, Fang NY1, Yuan X4, Xue BY5,6.
Author information
1
Department of Infectious Disease, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, 155 HanZhong Road, Nanjing, 210029, Jiangsu, China.
2
Department of Laboratory, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, 155 HanZhong Road, Nanjing, 210029, Jiangsu, China.
3
School of Laboratory Medicine, Chengdu medical college, 783 Xindu Road, Chengdu, 610500, Sichuan, China.
4
The First Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, 155 HanZhong Road, Nanjing, 210029, Jiangsu, China.
5
Department of Infectious Disease, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, 155 HanZhong Road, Nanjing, 210029, Jiangsu, China. [email protected].
6
The First Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, 155 HanZhong Road, Nanjing, 210029, Jiangsu, China. [email protected].
Abstract
Hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma are serious human diseases. Here, we examined the in vivo and in vitro inhibitory effect of extracts of Qizhu decoction (a traditional Chinese medicine) on hepatitis caused by diethylnitrosamine or hepatitis B virus and on diethylnitrosamine-induced hepatocellular carcinoma. The results showed that both the aqueous and ethanol extracts (QC and QS, respectively) of Qizhu decoction significantly inhibited hepatic inflammation and liver cancer induced by diethylnitrosamine or hepatitis B virus by suppressing NF-κB signaling and decreasing the levels of TNF-α and IL-1β. Both QC and QS inhibited the proliferation and migration of primary cancer hepatocytes by reducing cyclin B1, cyclin D1 and N-cadherin expression and increasing E-cadherin expression. QC and QS also promoted the apoptosis of primary cancer hepatocytes by upregulating caspase-3 and downregulating BCL-2 expression. The knockdown of p65 in NF-κB signaling inhibited the ability of QC and QS to significantly reduce the colony formation ability of liver cancer cells. Additionally, QC and QS might significantly inhibit the DNA replication of hepatitis B virus in vivo and in vitro, and we found that corilagin and polydatin were the active compounds of QC and QS. Taken together, our in vitro findings and our results in C57BL/6 mice showed that extracts of Qizhu decoction might inhibit hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma by suppressing NF-κB signaling.