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Tetrandrine

Tetrandrine, a bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloid, exerts antitumor effects against some cancers.   Tetrandrine induced apoptosis in concentration- and time-dependent manner. Tetrandrine increased expression of ERK 1/2 and p38 MAPK; inhibition of p38 MAPK reduced tetrandrine-induced apoptosis; inhibition of ERK1/2 did not. Tetrandrine had significant effects on tumors including slower growth and longer animal survival time and higher survival rate. Higher dose and earlier treatment were more effective than lower dose and delayed treatment. TUNEL staining showed prominent tetrandrine-induced apoptosis of tumors. These data suggest that tetrandrine induced significant apoptosis of cultured and subcutaneous CT-26 cells. Tetrandrine-induced apoptosis might be at least partially related to activation of the p38 MAPK signaling pathway.  see: Wu JM, Chen Y, Chen JC, Lin TY, Tseng SH., Tetrandrine induces apoptosis and growth suppression of colon cancer cells in mice. Cancer Lett. 2010 Jan 28;287(2):187-95. Epub 2009 Jul 7.

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 1: Cheng Z, Wang K, Wei J, Lu X, Liu B. Proteomic analysis of anti-tumor effects by tetrandrine treatment in HepG2 cells. Phytomedicine. 2010 May 27. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 20554191.

2: Li X, Zhen D, Lu X, Xu H, Shao Y, Xue Q, Hu Y, Liu B, Sun W. Enhanced cytotoxicity and activation of ROS-dependent c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase and caspase-3 by low doses of tetrandrine-loaded nanoparticles in Lovo cells--a possible Trojan strategy against cancer. Eur J Pharm Biopharm. 2010 Aug;75(3):334-40. Epub 2010 May 11. PubMed PMID: 20438840.

3: Jiang S, Zu Y, Zhang Y, Fu Y, Efferth T, Wang Z, Wang J. Transport of a Hydrophilic Paclitaxel Derivative, 7-Xylosyl-10-Deacetylpaclitaxel, by Human Intestinal Epithelial Caco-2 Cells. Planta Med. 2010 Apr 22. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 20414861.

4: Susa M, Choy E, Yang C, Schwab J, Mankin H, Hornicek F, Duan Z. Multidrug resistance reversal agent, NSC77037, identified with a cell-based screening assay. J Biomol Screen. 2010 Mar;15(3):287-96. Epub 2010 Feb 11. PubMed PMID: 20150589.

5: Chen LM, Liang YJ, Zhang X, Su XD, Dai CL, Wang FP, Yan YY, Tao LY, Fu LW. Reversal of P-gp-mediated multidrug resistance by Bromotetrandrine in vivo is associated with enhanced accumulation of chemotherapeutical drug in tumor tissue. Anticancer Res. 2009 Nov;29(11):4597-604. PubMed PMID: 20032409.

6: Chen Y, Chen JC, Tseng SH. Effects of tetrandrine plus radiation on neuroblastoma cells. Anticancer Res. 2009 Aug;29(8):3163-71. PubMed PMID: 19661330.

7: Ji BS, He L. CJX1, an amlodipine derivative, interacts with ATPase of human P-glycoprotein. Cell Biol Int. 2009 Oct;33(10):1073-8. Epub 2009 Jul 7. PubMed PMID: 19589390.

8: Wu JM, Chen Y, Chen JC, Lin TY, Tseng SH. Tetrandrine induces apoptosis and growth suppression of colon cancer cells in mice. Cancer Lett. 2010 Jan 28;287(2):187-95. Epub 2009 Jul 7. PubMed PMID: 19586712.

9: Li R, Li X, Xie L, Ding D, Hu Y, Qian X, Yu L, Ding Y, Jiang X, Liu B. Preparation and evaluation of PEG-PCL nanoparticles for local tetradrine delivery. Int J Pharm. 2009 Sep 8;379(1):158-66. Epub 2009 Jun 12. PubMed PMID: 19524653.

10: Cho HS, Chang SH, Chung YS, Shin JY, Park SJ, Lee ES, Hwang SK, Kwon JT, Tehrani AM, Woo M, Noh MS, Hanifah H, Jin H, Xu CX, Cho MH. Synergistic effect of ERK inhibition on tetrandrine-induced apoptosis in A549 human lung carcinoma cells. J Vet Sci. 2009 Mar;10(1):23-8. PubMed PMID: 19255520; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC2801106.

11: Deng WY, Luo SX, Zhou MQ, Li N, Chen XB, Han LL. [The study of anti-tumor effect of Tetrandrine combined with Nedaplatin on human liver cancer cell line 7402]. Zhong Yao Cai. 2008 Oct;31(10):1522-5. Chinese. PubMed PMID: 19230406.

12: Chen Y, Chen JC, Tseng SH. Tetrandrine suppresses tumor growth and angiogenesis of gliomas in rats. Int J Cancer. 2009 May 15;124(10):2260-9. Erratum in: Int J Cancer. 2009 Sep 1;125(5):1241. PubMed PMID: 19165864.

13: Iorns E, Lord CJ, Ashworth A. Parallel RNAi and compound screens identify the PDK1 pathway as a target for tamoxifen sensitization. Biochem J. 2009 Jan 1;417(1):361-70. PubMed PMID: 18976239.

14: Qian XP, Liu BR, Hu J, Li M, Hu WJ, Sun J, Yu LX. [Inhibitory effect of tetrandrine on angiogenesis]. Ai Zheng. 2008 Oct;27(10):1050-5. Chinese. PubMed PMID: 18851784.

15: Wang TX, Yang XH. Reversal effect of isotetrandrine, an isoquinoline alkaloid extracted from Caulis Mahoniae, on P-glycoprotein-mediated doxorubicin-resistance in human breast cancer (MCF-7/DOX) cells. Yao Xue Xue Bao. 2008 May;43(5):461-6. PubMed PMID: 18717331.

16: Lei X, Kong L, Zou H, Ma H, Yang L. Evaluation of the interaction of bioactive compounds in Cortex Pseudolarix and Radix Stephaniae by the microdialysis probe coupled with high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. J Chromatogr A. 2009 Mar 13;1216(11):2179-84. Epub 2008 May 29. PubMed PMID: 18573500.

17: Liu B, Wang T, Qian X, Liu G, Yu L, Ding Y. Anticancer effect of tetrandrine on primary cancer cells isolated from ascites and pleural fluids. Cancer Lett. 2008 Sep 8;268(1):166-75. Epub 2008 May 20. PubMed PMID: 18495333.

18: Chen XL, Ren KH, He HW, Shao RG. Involvement of PI3K/AKT/GSK3beta pathway in tetrandrine-induced G1 arrest and apoptosis. Cancer Biol Ther. 2008 Jul;7(7):1073-8. Epub 2008 Apr 16. PubMed PMID: 18437054.

19: Hou Y, Guo T, Wu C, He X. Effect of tetrandrine combined with epirubicin on the growth of human breast carcinoma multidrug resistance cell line. Yakugaku Zasshi. 2008 Apr;128(4):663-6. PubMed PMID: 18379185.

20: Sun XC, Cheng HY, Deng YX, Shao RG, Ma J. Tetrandrine: a potent abrogator of G2 checkpoint function in tumor cells and its mechanism. Biomed Environ Sci. 2007 Dec;20(6):495-501. PubMed PMID: 18348409.

21: Sun X, Xu R, Deng Y, Cheng H, Ma J, Ji J, Zhou Y. Effects of tetrandrine on apoptosis and radiosensitivity of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell line CNE. Acta Biochim Biophys Sin (Shanghai). 2007 Nov;39(11):869-78. PubMed PMID: 17989878.

22: Nomura M, Yamazaki R, Takaya M, Kikuchi M, Takahashi-Nishioka T, Akiyama K, Akiyama N, Moritani S, Kobayashi S. Inhibition of tetrandrine on epidermal growth factor-induced cell transformation and its signal transduction. Anticancer Res. 2007 Sep-Oct;27(5A):3187-93. PubMed PMID: 17970060.

23: Han X, Wang F, Yao W, Xing H, Weng D, Song X, Chen G, Xi L, Zhu T, Zhou J, Xu G, Wang S, Meng L, Iadecola C, Wang G, Ma D. Heat shock proteins and p53 play a critical role in K+ channel-mediated tumor cell proliferation and apoptosis. Apoptosis. 2007 Oct;12(10):1837-46. PubMed PMID: 17624594.

24: Dai CL, Xiong HY, Tang LF, Zhang X, Liang YJ, Zeng MS, Chen LM, Wang XH, Fu LW. Tetrandrine achieved plasma concentrations capable of reversing MDR in vitro and had no apparent effect on doxorubicin pharmacokinetics in mice. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol. 2007 Oct;60(5):741-50. Epub 2007 Feb 2. PubMed PMID: 17273824.

25: Wei J, Liu B, Wang L, Qian X, Ding Y, Yu L. Synergistic interaction between tetrandrine and chemotherapeutic agents and influence of tetrandrine on chemotherapeutic agent-associated genes in human gastric cancer cell lines. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol. 2007 Oct;60(5):703-11. Epub 2007 Jan 26. PubMed PMID: 17256130.

26: Chiou WF, Lee WS, Yeh PH. Tetrandrine selectively protects against amyloid-beta protein - but not against MPTP-induced cytotoxicity in SK-N-SH neuroblastoma cells. Planta Med. 2006 Nov;72(14):1300-4. Epub 2006 Oct 18. PubMed PMID: 17051460.

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28: Ng LT, Chiang LC, Lin YT, Lin CC. Antiproliferative and apoptotic effects of tetrandrine on different human hepatoma cell lines. Am J Chin Med. 2006;34(1):125-35. PubMed PMID: 16437745.

29: Chen BA, Du J, Zhang CX, Cheng J, Gao F, Lu ZH. [Using protein chips to study mechanism underlying reversion of drug resistance in leukemia cells in tetrandrine alone or in combination with droloxifene]. Zhongguo Shi Yan Xue Ye Xue Za Zhi. 2005 Dec;13(6):999-1003. Chinese. PubMed PMID: 16403267.

30: Li GH, Liu MX, Sun FJ, Wang N, Yin GP, Li XJ, Li WF. [The effect of tetrandrine on the expression of the P170, LRP and TOPO II in S180's tumor cell induced by chemotherapy in the mice with acquired multi-drug resistance]. Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi. 2005 Aug;30(16):1280-2. Chinese. PubMed PMID: 16245910.

31: Xu WL, Shen HL, Ao ZF, Chen BA, Xia W, Gao F, Zhang YN. Combination of tetrandrine as a potential-reversing agent with daunorubicin, etoposide and cytarabine for the treatment of refractory and relapsed acute myelogenous leukemia. Leuk Res. 2006 Apr;30(4):407-13. Epub 2005 Oct 10. PubMed PMID: 16219352.

32: Wang FP, Wang L, Yang JS, Nomura M, Miyamoto K. Reversal of P-glycoprotein-dependent resistance to vinblastine by newly synthesized bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloids in mouse leukemia P388 cells. Biol Pharm Bull. 2005 Oct;28(10):1979-82. PubMed PMID: 16204959.

33: Koh HL, Wang H, Zhou S, Chan E, Woo SO. Detection of aristolochic acid I, tetrandrine and fangchinoline in medicinal plants by high performance liquid chromatography and liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. J Pharm Biomed Anal. 2006 Feb 24;40(3):653-61. Epub 2005 Sep 15. PubMed PMID: 16168604.

34: Zhu X, Sui M, Fan W. In vitro and in vivo characterizations of tetrandrine on the reversal of P-glycoprotein-mediated drug resistance to paclitaxel. Anticancer Res. 2005 May-Jun;25(3B):1953-62. PubMed PMID: 16158930.

35: Levine L. Tetrandrine and thapsigargin release arachidonic acid from cells in culture and stimulate prostacyclin production in rat liver cells, but may do so by different pathways. BMC Pharmacol. 2005 Jun 24;5:12. PubMed PMID: 15978132; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC1180457.

36: Sun FJ, Nie XC, Li GH, Yin GP. [The study of tetrandrine on reversion of P170 and apoptosis of obtained multi-drug resistance of mice S180's tumour cell]. Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi. 2005 Feb;30(4):280-3. Chinese. PubMed PMID: 15724407.

37: Chang KH, Liao HF, Chang HH, Chen YY, Yu MC, Chou CJ, Chen YJ. Inhibitory effect of tetrandrine on pulmonary metastases in CT26 colorectal adenocarcinoma-bearing BALB/c mice. Am J Chin Med. 2004;32(6):863-72. PubMed PMID: 15673192.

38: Meng LH, Zhang H, Hayward L, Takemura H, Shao RG, Pommier Y. Tetrandrine induces early G1 arrest in human colon carcinoma cells by down-regulating the activity and inducing the degradation of G1-S-specific cyclin-dependent kinases and by inducing p53 and p21Cip1. Cancer Res. 2004 Dec 15;64(24):9086-92. PubMed PMID: 15604277.

39: Rychkov GY, Litjens T, Roberts ML, Barritt GJ. Arachidonic acid inhibits the store-operated Ca2+ current in rat liver cells. Biochem J. 2005 Jan 15;385(Pt 2):551-6. PubMed PMID: 15516207; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC1134728.

40: Jin J, Wang FP, Wei H, Liu G. Reversal of multidrug resistance of cancer through inhibition of P-glycoprotein by 5-bromotetrandrine. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol. 2005 Feb;55(2):179-88. Epub 2004 Sep 16. PubMed PMID: 15378274.

41: Liu ZL, Hirano T, Tanaka S, Onda K, Oka K. Persistent reversal of P-glycoprotein-mediated daunorubicin resistance by tetrandrine in multidrug-resistant human T lymphoblastoid leukemia MOLT-4 cells. J Pharm Pharmacol. 2003 Nov;55(11):1531-7. PubMed PMID: 14713364.

42: Fu L, Liang Y, Deng L, Ding Y, Chen L, Ye Y, Yang X, Pan Q. Characterization of tetrandrine, a potent inhibitor of P-glycoprotein-mediated multidrug resistance. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol. 2004 Apr;53(4):349-56. Epub 2003 Dec 10. PubMed PMID: 14666379.

43: Oh SH, Lee BH. Induction of apoptosis in human hepatoblastoma cells by tetrandrine via caspase-dependent Bid cleavage and cytochrome c release. Biochem Pharmacol. 2003 Sep 1;66(5):725-31. PubMed PMID: 12948852.

44: Wang JH, Ye ZG, Sun AX, Xue BY, Liang AH, Li CY, Wang L. [Reversal of anti-apoptotic action by tetrandrine in human breast carcinoma multidrug-resistant MCF-7 cells]. Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi. 2002 Jan;27(1):46-50. Chinese. PubMed PMID: 12774357.

45: Ye ZG, Wang JH, Sun AX, Liang AH, Xue BY, Li CY, Wang L. [Poteintation of vincristine-induced apoptosis by tetrandrine, neferine and dauricine in the human mammary MCF-7 multidrug-resistant cells]. Yao Xue Xue Bao. 2001 Feb;36(2):96-9. Chinese. PubMed PMID: 12579872.

46: Chen BA, Wang W, Lin GW. [Progression on studies of treatment of tumor with tetrandrine]. Zhongguo Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Za Zhi. 2001 Aug;21(8):636-8. Review. Chinese. PubMed PMID: 12575583.

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49: Lee JH, Kang GH, Kim KC, Kim KM, Park DI, Choi BT, Kang HS, Lee YT, Choi YH. Tetrandrine-induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in A549 human lung carcinoma cells. Int J Oncol. 2002 Dec;21(6):1239-44. PubMed PMID: 12429973.

50: Jin Q, Kang C, Soh Y, Sohn NW, Lee J, Cho YH, Baik HH, Kang I. Tetrandrine cytotoxicity and its dual effect on oxidative stress-induced apoptosis through modulating cellular redox states in Neuro 2a mouse neuroblastoma cells. Life Sci. 2002 Sep 13;71(17):2053-66. PubMed PMID: 12175898.

51: Ransom CB, Liu X, Sontheimer H. BK channels in human glioma cells have enhanced calcium sensitivity. Glia. 2002 Jun;38(4):281-91. PubMed PMID: 12007141.

52: Fu LW, Zhang YM, Liang YJ, Yang XP, Pan QC. The multidrug resistance of tumour cells was reversed by tetrandrine in vitro and in xenografts derived from human breast adenocarcinoma MCF-7/adr cells. Eur J Cancer. 2002 Feb;38(3):418-26. PubMed PMID: 11818209.

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55: Chang KH, Chen ML, Chen HC, Huang YW, Wu TY, Chen YJ. Enhancement of radiosensitivity in human glioblastoma U138MG cells by tetrandrine. Neoplasma. 1999;46(3):196-200. PubMed PMID: 10613597.

56: Wu SN, Li HF. Characterization of riluzole-induced stimulation of large-conductance calcium-activated potassium channels in rat pituitary GH3 cells. J Investig Med. 1999 Nov;47(9):484-95. PubMed PMID: 10572379.

57: Sun AX, Ye ZG, Li CY, Xue BY, Li LF, Cao XF, Yang Q, Dai BQ. Synergistic anticancer effects of tetrandrine combined with doxorubicin or vincristine in vitro. Zhongguo Yao Li Xue Bao. 1999 Jan;20(1):69-73. PubMed PMID: 10437129.

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