Inhibitory Effects of Dioscoreae Rhizoma and Polygalae Radix Mixture Combined with Sorafenib in Hepatoma Xenografts Model

Abstract

Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignancies and a leading cause of cancer-related mortality and morbidity worldwide. Purpose This study evaluated the enhanced efficacy of a combination of herbal medicine with sorafenib (MIX) in a transplantation tumor model induced by HepG2 cells in HCC. Materials and Methods The HepG2 cell transplantation tumor model was established by injecting HepG2 cells subcutaneously into BALB/c nude mice. The impact of MIX on tumor growth was observed. Granzyme B was used to measure natural killer (NK) cell activity. Prognostic markers of HCC, telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT), and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) were analyzed via real-time polymerase chain reaction. Additionally, inflammation and apoptosis-related markers were assessed through serum analysis and Western blotting. Results Among the MIX groups, MIX25 (sorafenib 10 mg/kg + Dioscoreae rhizoma and Polygalae radix mixture 25 mg/kg) demonstrated the most significant effect. MIX25 effectively suppressed tumor volume and weight, enhanced apoptosis-promoting proteins (Bax, Cytochrome c, and Caspase-3), and reduced apoptosis-inhibiting proteins like survivin. Furthermore, MIX25 inhibited the mitogen-activated protein kinase inflammatory response and inflammatory markers, including tumor necrosis factor-alpha and cyclooxygenase-2. The MIX25 group exhibited superior effects on NK cell activity and cancer marker genes (AFP and TERT) compared to other drug-treated groups. Conclusion MIX25 effectively suppressed the proliferation of HepG2 cell transplantation tumors in BALB/c nude mice. It not only inhibited inflammatory markers but also enhanced cell apoptosis. Additionally, MIX25 significantly increased NK cell activity and reduced mRNA expressions of AFP and TERT. Overall, the combination of MIX25 with sorafenib shows promise as a potential treatment for patients with HCC.