PC-SPES

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the abstract below is interesting because baicalin is one of the

constituents of scutellaria baicalensis (huang qin). it is well know in

chinese research literature that baicalin has anticancer and antiviral

effects. The fact that PC-SPES is 6% baicalin further suggests this is

not merely a crude plant extract. Huang qin by itself has less than 6%

baicalin, so there is no way a mixture of ten or more substances could

have such a high level unless it was selectively increased in the

manufacture process. However, baicalin appears extremely safe, so there

is still something else in this product that causes gynecomasty, etc. It

is also possible that different batches vary in their adulteration.

 

Prostate 2001 Dec 1;49(4):285-92

 

Baicalin is a major component of PC-SPES which inhibits the proliferation

of human cancer cells via apoptosis and cell cycle arrest.

Ikezoe T, Chen SS, Heber D, Taguchi H, Koeffler HP.

Division of Hematology/Oncology, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles,

California 90048, USA.

BACKGROUND: PC-SPES is an eight-herb mixture that was shown to have

activity against prostate cancer. Recently, we isolated a major component

(6% of the total ethanolic extract) known as baicalin from PC-SPES by high

performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). METHODS: Baicalin was evaluated

for its ability to inhibit clonal growth, and to induce cell cycle arrest

of various cancer types (PC-3, DU145, LNCaP prostate cancer cell lines,

MCF-7 breast cancer cell line, HL-60 myeloblastic leukemia cell line, and

NB4 promyelocytic leukemia cell line). The ability of baicalin to induce

apoptosis of cancer cells was examined by both staining with Annexin V and

detection of cleavage of Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP)(3). Western

blot analysis examined the effect of baicalin on levels of p21(waf1) and

p27(kip1) in those cells. Futhermore, induction of differentiation in

HL-60 cells was measured by expression of CD11b. RESULTS: Baicalin

inhibited the clonal proliferation of LNCaP and PC3 prostate cancer cell

lines, and the HL-60 and NB4 myeloblastic/promyelocytic leukemia cell

lines with a 50% inhibition (ED(50)) that ranged between 6.4 x 10(-6) to

12 x 10(-6) mol/L. Cell cycle analysis showed that baicalin (2 x 10(-5)

mol/L, 4 days) caused a G(0)/G(1) and G(2)/M accumulation of LNCaP and

HL-60 cells, respectively. Concomitantly, differentiation and apoptosis

were induced in HL-60 cells, as measured by expression of CD11b antigen,

staining with annexin V, and detection of cleavage of PARP. Moreover,

baicalin enhanced the expression of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor,

p27(kip1) in LNCaP and HL-60 cells. CONCLUSIONS: Baicalin inhibited the

proliferation of cancer cells via apoptosis and cell cycle arrest, in

which p27(kip1) may play a role. Baicalin may be a novel, adjunctive

therapy for selected malignancies including prostate cancer. Copyright

2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

 

 

 

Chinese Herbs

 

 

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