In vitro and in vivo antitumor evaluation of berbamine for lung cancer treatment.

PURPOSE: Lung cancer, one of the most frequently diagnosed cancers in the world, is characterized by relatively high morbidity and mortality. Berbamine (BER) has been initially reported to exert anti-proliferative effects against a series of cancers.

METHODS

In this study the in vitro cytotoxicity of BER was measured by MTT assay. In vivo anti-cancer efficacy of BER was assessed in A549 xenografts.

RESULTS

Cytotoxicity tests showed dose-dependent cell growth inhibition effects of BER against A549 cells. Moreover, BER significantly reduced the growth of lung cancer in a dose-dependent manner in nude mice with prolonged survival time.

CONCLUSION

Therefore, BER might be in herbal medicine for cancer therapy and further efforts are needed to explore therapeutic strategies.