Earlier studies have shown that
rhein, one of the major bioactive constituents of the rhizome of rhubarb, inhibits the proliferation of various human
cancer cells. However, because of its water insolubility, the antitumor efficacy of
rhein is limited in vivo. In this study, we studied the antitumor activity of
rhein lysinate (the
salt of
rhein and
lysine and easily dissolving in water) and its mechanism. Inhibition of
breast cancer cell proliferation was determined by MTT assay and the mechanism of action of
rhein lysinate was investigated by western blot analysis. The therapeutic efficacy of
rhein lysinate was evaluated by human
cancer xenografts in athymic nude mice.
Rhein lysinate inhibited the proliferation of
breast cancer cells (MCF-7, SK-Br-3, and MDA-MB-231). The IC50 values were 95, 80, and 110 micromol/l, respectively.
Rhein lysinate inhibited the phosphorylation of
epidermal growth factor receptor,
MEK, and ERK with or without
EGF stimulation. It also inhibited
tumor growth and enhanced the
therapeutic effect of
Taxol on MCF-7 xenografts in athymic mice.
Rhein lysinate inhibited the phosphorylation of
epidermal growth factor receptor and MAPK signal pathway. These results suggest that
rhein lysinate might be useful as a modulation agent in
cancer chemotherapy.