An, Chang-Suk; Kwon, Ki-Rok; Lee, Seon-Goo

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate acute and subacute toxicity and sarcoma-180 anti-cancer effects of herbal acupuncture with Carthami- Tinctorii fructus (CF) in mice and rats. Method: Balb/c mice were injected intraperitoneally with Carthami - Tinctorii fructus (CF) for and acute toxicity test. Sprague Dawley rats were injected intraperitoneally with Carthami- Tinctorii fructus (CF) for subacute toxicity test. The Carthami- Tinctorii fructus herbal-acupuncture was injected on Chung-wan (CV12) of mice with Sarcoma-180 cancer cell line. Results: 1. was uncountable as none of the subjects expired during the test. 2. In acute toxicity test, toxic symptoms were not detected, but the body weight of mice was increased in treatment Ⅰ, treatment Ⅱ groups, compared to the normal group.(p<0.05) 3. In acute toxicity test of serum biochemical values of mice, glucose was increased in treatment Ⅰ and treatment Ⅱ groups, total cholesterol was increased in treatment I group, GOT was decreased in treatment Ⅱ group, and GPT was decreased in treatment Ⅰ group, compared to the normal group.(p<0.05) 4. The clinical signs and the body weight of mice treated with 0.1 cc, 0.2cc Carthami- Tinctorii fructus (CF) were not affected during the subacute toxicity test. 5. In subacute toxicity test, treatment groups didn't show significant changes in complete blood count test (CBC) of rats, compared to the nonnal group.(p<0.05) 6. In subacute toxicity test of serum biochemical values of rats, uric acid was decreased in treatment Ⅰ and treatment Ⅱ groups, compared to the nonnal group, triglyceride was decreased in treatment I group, compared to the normal group, GOT and GPT were decreased in treatment I and treatment Ⅱ groups, and alkaline phosphatase was decreased in treatment Ⅰ and treatment Ⅱ groups, compared to the normal group.(p<0.05) 7. Median survival time was increased in all the treatment groups for Sarcoma-180 cancer cell treated with Carthmni- Tinctorii fructus (CF).(p<0.05) 8. Natural killer cell activity was significantly increased in all the treatment groups compared to the normal group.(p<0.05) 9. Interleukin-2 productivity was decreased in treatment Ⅰ and treatment Ⅱ groups.(p<0.05) Conclusion: According to the results, we can conclude herbal-acupuncture of Carthami-Tinctoriifructus (CF) caused negligible toxkity, and had anti-tumor effects in mice.

Carthami-Tinctorii fructus(CF); Herbal-acupuncture; LD50; Acute toxicity; Subacute toxicity; Sarcoma-180 cancer cell; Natural killer cell activity; Interleukin-2 productivity

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