Immune and Anti-oxidant Functions of Ethanol Extracts of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi in Mice Bearing U14 Cervical Cancers

Abstract

<b>Background:</b> The objective was to study the effect of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi ethanol extracts (SBGE)on immune and anti-oxidant function in U14 tumor-bearing mice. Materials and <br/><b>Methods</b>: U14 tumor-bearingmice were randomly divided into eight groups: a control group, a cyclophosphamide (CTX) group, three dosegroups of SBGEⅠ (high, medium, low), and three dose groups of SBGEⅡ (high, medium, low). After two weeks,the thymus and spleen weight indices of mice bearing U14 cervical cancer were calculated. Enzyme linkedimmunosorbent assays (ELISA) was used to determine the levels of serum IL-2, TNF-α, IL-8, and PCNA. MDAactivity and SOD activity in plasma were measured with detection kits. <br/><b>Results</b>: In the SBGE groups, thymusweight and spleen weight indices of U14 tumor-bearing mice were significantly higher than in the control groupor CTX group (p<0.05). Compared to control group, the levels of serum IL-2 and TNF-α in U14 tumor-bearingmice increased significantly, whereas the contents of serum IL-8 and PCNA decreased (p<0.05). The activity ofSOD increased with the growing dose of SBGE, while the activity of MDA decreased significantly in the higherdosegroups of SBGE. <br/><b>Conclusions</b>: These findings suggested that SBGE, especially at high dose, 1000 mg/kg,showed significant immune and anti-oxidant effects infU14 tumor-bearing mice, which might be the mechanismsof SBGE inhibition of tumor growth.