OBJECTIVETo investigate the toxicity attenuation and efficacy potentiation effects of Sijunzi decoction (SJZD) on bladder carcinoma treated by chemotherapy in mice.

METHODST739 mice were randomly divided into 8 groups after subcutaneous inoculation of bladder carcinoma cells, the control group (A); two mitomycin C (MMC) group, treated with MMC of routine dosage (B) and low-dosage (C) respectively; three SJZD groups, treated with SJZD of high (D), medium (E) and low-dosage (F) respectively; and two combined treatment groups, treated with SJZD of high-dosage + MMC of routine dosage(G) and SJZD of high-dosage + MMC of low-dosage(H). The medication was begun at 24 hrs after inoculation. The tumor inhibitory rate, activity of peritoneal macrophages after 14 days of treatment and change of peripheral white blood cells after 7 days of treatment were determined and the survival time of mice was observed.

RESULTSThe survival time of mice in Group D was significantly higher than that in Group A (P < 0.05), while those in Group E and F showed insignificant difference as compared with those in Group A (P > 0.05). The highest tumor inhibitory rate was shown in Group B, but the survival time in that group showed no significant difference as compared to those in Group A (P > 0.05). The longest survival time (32.7 +/- 1.3 days) was shown in Group H, which was obviously different to that in other groups (P < 0.05). And the leukocyte counts and macrophage activity in Group H were better than those in Group B, C and G (P < 0.05), except that the tumor inhibitory rate was significantly lower than that in Group B, C and G (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONCombined chemotherapy of SJZD with low dosage MMC has definite effect in inhibiting tumor growth in mice with bladder carcinoma, displaying special effects of toxicity attenuation and efficacy potentiation.