Abstract:
Objective To investigate the effect of different concentrations of dihydroartemisinin (DHA) on human hypopharyngeal cancer Fadu cells in nude mice.
Methods Clonogenic assay was applied to determine whether DHA (10, 20 and 40μmol/L) for 24h affected long-term colony formation. Nude mice with xenograft tumor model bearing Fadu cells were intraperitoneally injected into low, medium and high concentrations of DHA as DHA groups, while intraperitoneal injection of cisplatin as the chemotherapy group. The volume of transplanted tumor was measured. After three weeks, the xenograft tumors were removed and weighted, then, the inhibitory rates were determined. The potential toxicity was determined through the weight changes of mice, liver, spleen and kidney.
Results (1) DHA inhibited the growth of Fadu cells in vitro. (2) The inhibitory rates of low-(25mg/kg), medium-(50mg/kg) and high-(100mg/kg) dose DHA groups were 39.74%, 60.52% and 78.70%, while, 79.22% in cisplatin group. (3) DHA had no effect on body and kidney weight of nude mice. DHA increased the weight of liver and spleen in tumor-bearing nude mice.
Conclusion Low-and medium-dose DHA noticeably inhibit the growth of Fadu xenograft tumor in vivo, but the effect is not as good as cisplatin. High dose of DHA has the same anti-tumor effect as cisplatin, without observable toxic effect on liver, kidney or spleen.