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A herbal medicine for the treatment of lung cancer

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Abstract

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths throughout the world. Extracts of medicinal plants are believed to contain different chemopreventive or chemotherapeutic compounds. In this study, we determined the anti-cancer property of one of the traditional Indian medicine Rasagenthi Lehyam (RL) for the treatment of lung cancer. Two lung cancer cell lines (A-549 and H-460) and one normal bronchial epithelial (BEAS-2B) cell line were used to test the chemotherapeutic effect of RL. Out of five fractions of RL, chloroform fraction of RL (cRL) demonstrated a significant inhibition of cell proliferation and induction of apoptosis in A-549 and H-460 cells but not in normal BEAS-2B cells. The cRL fraction up-regulated the pro-apoptotic genes p53 and Bax and induced caspase-3 activation, and down-regulated the pro-survival gene Bcl-2 in both the lung cancer cell lines. Also, nuclear export of p53 was seen in cRL-treated lung cancer cells. In addition, cRL induced G2/M arrest of cell cycle and enhanced the radio-sensitivity of both the lung cancer cell lines. This study suggests that cRL may prove to be a potent anti-cancer agent that may be used for the treatment of lung cancer. However, further studies are required to bring cRL into the mainstream of medicine in the treatment of lung cancer. (Mol Cell Biochem xxx: 125–133, 2005)

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA

    Rama S. Ranga, Srinivasan Sowmyalakshmi & Damodaran Chendil

  2. Department of Radiation Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA

    Ravshan Burikhanov

  3. Department of Animal Science, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirapalli, India

    Mohammed A. Akbarsha

  4. Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of Kentucky, Room 209D, 900 South Limestone Street, Lexington, KY, 40536-0200

    Damodaran Chendil

Authors
  1. Rama S. Ranga
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  2. Srinivasan Sowmyalakshmi
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  3. Ravshan Burikhanov
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  4. Mohammed A. Akbarsha
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  5. Damodaran Chendil
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Correspondence to Damodaran Chendil.

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Ranga, R.S., Sowmyalakshmi, S., Burikhanov, R. et al. A herbal medicine for the treatment of lung cancer. Mol Cell Biochem 280, 125–133 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11010-005-8518-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11010-005-8518-3

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