Application of serum pharmacology in evaluating the antitumor effect of Fuzheng Yiliu Decoction (aeparts per thousandae£aeSc∼currency signae-1) from Chinese medicine

To investigate the feasibility of serum pharmacology in evaluating the antitumor effect of Chinese medicine (CM) of Fuzheng Guben (ae parts per thousand ae a pound >(0)aeenot sign, supporting the healthy energy and strengthening the body's resistance to pathogens), the effects of Fuzheng Yiliu Decoction (ae parts per thousand ae aeSc pound similar to currency signae-(1), FYD), a typical prescription of Fuzheng Guben, on proliferation and apoptosis of hepatoma cells in vitro were observed by two methods with serum pharmacology and traditional pharmacology, respectively. HepG2 cells were treated with FYD-containing serum or crude FYD extract in vitro. The proliferation rate was determined by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay. Cell cycle and apoptosis rate was performed by flow cytometry. And the levels of interleukin-2 (IL-2) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) in FYD-containing serum were detected by radioimmunoassay. The results by serum pharmacology were accordant with those of our previous animal and clinical trials which indicates that serum pharmacology is a reasonable and feasible method for the evaluation of the antitumor effect of herbs of Fuzheng Guben.