Cuscuta chinensis ethanol extract suppresses H22 hepatoma growth in mice and reduces PI3K/AKT phosphorylation
Keywords:
Cuscuta chinensis, H22 hepatoma, Bax/Bcl-2, PI3K/AKT signalingAbstract
This study evaluated the effects of Cuscuta chinensis ethanol extract in H22 hepatoma-bearing mice. Tumor-bearing mice were treated with cyclophos-phamide or varying doses of the extract for 14 days. Tumor growth was assessed using bioluminescence imaging and tumor weight measurements. The extract slowed the increase in bioluminescence and reduced tumor weight, achieving a maximum inhibition rate of 50.4%. It decreased the spleen index, increased the thymus index at the two higher doses, elevated serum interleukin-2 levels at the two higher doses, and increased tumor necrosis factor-α at all doses. Additionally, it reduced alpha-fetoprotein levels at the two higher doses. Histological analysis of tumor tissue revealed degenerative and necrotic changes. The extract increased Bax expression and the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio at all doses while reducing Bcl-2 expression at the two higher doses. Total PI3K and AKT levels remained largely unchanged; however, their phosphorylated forms and phosphorylation ratios were reduced. Overall, the extract inhibited H22 tumor growth, accompanied by modulation of apoptosis-related proteins and decreased phosphorylation of PI3K and AKT.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Hui Song, Fang Tao, Xiaoqiao Huang, Yuhan Cai, Shuo Wang, Yang Hu, Xingming Sun
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