We evaluated the effects of high molecular-weight phlorotannins from Sargassum thunbergii(STP) on ADP-induced platelet aggregation and arachidonic acid(AA) metabolism in New Zealand white rabbits and Wistar rats.The inhibition of STP on platelet aggregation was investigated using a turbidimetric method,and the levels of the terminal products of AA metabolism were measured using the corresponding kits for maleic dialdehyde(MDA),thromboxane B2(TXB2) and 6-keto-prostaglandin F1α(6-keto-PGF1α) by colorimetry and radioimmunoassay,as appropriate.We found that STP could inhibit ADP-induced platelet aggregation,and the inhibitory ratio was 91.50% at the STP concentration of 4.0 mg/mL.Furthermore,STP markedly affected AA metabolism by decreasing the synthesis of MDA(P<0.01) and increasing the synthesis of 6-keto-PGF1α,thus changing the plasma TXB2/6-keto-PGF1α balance when the platelets were activated(P<0.01).Therefore,STP altered AA metabolism and these findings partly revealed the molecular mechanism by which STP inhibits ADP-induced platelet aggregation.
Seaweed Complex Preparation （SCP） is a clinical traditional Chinese medicine preparation which is composed of seven traditional Chinese herbs, and it has been used for treatment of lung cancer, liver cancer and digestive cancer. However, little infor- mation is available about the pharmacodynamic basis. The antitumor, immunomodulatory and free radical scavenging effects of SCP were evaluated in this study. Transplanted tumor in vivo method was used to determine the antitumor effect. The effects on spleno- cyte proliferation and phagocytosis of macrophages in tumor-bearing mice were measured by the MTT method and the phagocytizing cock red blood cell （CRBC） method respectively. The scavenging activities of SCP on DPPH and hydroxyl radicals in vitro were investigated. It was found that the medium-dose and high-dose of SCP could significantly inhibit the growth of transplanted hepatic tumor of murine hepatocarcinoma cell line H22, and promote proliferation of splenocytes and phagocytosis of macrophages. SCP possessed noticeable scavenging activities on DPPH and hydroxyl radicals. The antiturnor effects of SCP might be achieved by im- proving immune system and scavenging free radicals, which is in accordance with the viewpoint of traditional Chinese medicine in promoting the body resistance and eliminating pathogenic factors for cancer treatment.
LIU XinSHAO ChanglunKONG WenwenFANG YuchunWANG Changyun
