OBJECTIVETo investigate the feasibility of serum pharmacology in evaluating the antitumor effect of Chinese medicine (CM) of Fuzheng Guben (supporting the healthy energy and strengthening the body's resistance to pathogens), the effects of Fuzheng Yiliu Decoction (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.

METHODSHepG2 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 α (TNF-α) in FYD-containing serum were detected by radioimmunoassay.

RESULTSFYD-containing serum remarkably inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis of hepatoma cells at least by promoting the production of IL-2 and TNF-α in vivo. On the contrary, crude FYD extract promoted the proliferation and did not induce cell apoptosis.

CONCLUSIONThe 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.