Evidences for the mechanism of Shenmai injection antagonizing doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity.

Background: Doxorubicin (DOX) is a widely used antitumor drug. However, its clinical application is limited for its serious cardiotoxicity. The mechanism of DOX-induced cardiotoxicity is attributed to the increasing of cell stress in cardiomyocytes, then following autophagic and apoptotic responses.

Simultaneous determination and pharmacokinetics of eight ginsenosides by LC-MS/MS after intravenously infusion of 'SHENMAI' injection in dogs.

SHENMAI injection, a prescription comprised of Panax ginseng and Ophiopogon japonicas, is being extensively applied in the field of cardio-protection and immune-modulation in China. Ginsenosides are the main active components in SHENMAI injection. In order to capture and analyze the pharmacokinetic profile of major ginsenosides of SHENMAI injection in Beagle dogs, liquid chromatography equipped with electro-spray ionization and tandem mass spectrometry method was applied in simultaneous determination for protopanaxatriol type ginsenoside (Re, Rf, Rg1), protopanaxadiol type ginsenoside (Rb2, Rb1, Rd, Rc) and oleanolic acid type ginsenoside (Ro).

Cryptotanshinone induces inhibition of breast tumor growth by cytotoxic CD4+ T cells through the JAK2/STAT4/ perforin pathway.

Cryptotanshinone (CPT), is a quinoid diterpene isolated from the root of the Asian medicinal plant, Salvia miotiorrhiza bunge. Numerous researchers have found that it could work as a potent antitumor agent to inhibit tumor growth in vitro, buith there has been much less emphasis on its in vivo role against breast tumors. Using a mouse tumor model of MCF7 cells, we showed that CPT strongly inhibited MCF7 cell growth in vivo with polarization of immune reactions toward Th1-type responses, stimulation of naive CD4+ T cell proliferation, and also increased IFN-γ and perforin production of CD4+ T cells in response to tumor-activated splenocytes.