Lee SB, Hwang SJ, Son CG. CGX, a standardized herbal syrup, inhibits colon-liver metastasis by regulating the hepatic microenvironments in a splenic injection mouse model.
Front Pharmacol 2022;
13:906752. [PMID:
36105183 PMCID:
PMC9465806 DOI:
10.3389/fphar.2022.906752]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Colon-liver metastasis is observed in approximately 50% of patients with colorectal cancer and is a critical risk factor for a low survival rate. Several clinical studies have reported that colon-liver metastasis is accelerated by pathological hepatic microenvironments such as hepatic steatosis or fibrosis. Chunggan syrup (CGX), a standardized 13-herbal mixture, has been prescribed to patients with chronic liver diseases, including fatty liver, inflammation and fibrotic change, based on preclinical and clinical evidence.
Aim of the study: In the present study, we investigated anti-liver metastatic the effects of CGX in a murine colon carcinoma (MC38)-splenic injection mouse model.
Materials and methods: C57BL/6N mice were administered with CGX (100, 200 or 400 mg/kg) for 14 days before or after MC38-splenic injection under normal and high-fat diet (HFD) fed conditions. Also, above experiment was repeated without MC38-splenic injection to explore underlying mechanism.
Results: The number of tumor nodules and liver weight with tumors were sup-pressed by preadministration of CGX in both normal and HFD fed mice. Regarding its mechanisms, we found that CGX administration significantly activated epithelial-cadherin (E-cadherin), but decreased vascular endothelial-cadherin (VE-cadherin) in hepatic tissues under MC38-free conditions. In addition, CGX administration significantly reduced hepatic steatosis, via modulation of lipolytic and lipogenic molecules, including activated adenosine monophosphate activated protein kinase (AMPK) and peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-alpha (PPARα).
Conclusion: The present data indicate that CGX exerts an anti-colon-liver metastatic property via modulation of hepatic lipid related microenvironments.
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