Background. This prospective, controlled study evaluated the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of the mixture of botanical compounds known as LCS101 in preventing chemotherapy-induced hematological toxicity in breast cancer patients.Methods. Female patients diagnosed with localized breast cancer were randomly allocated to receive treatment with either LCS101 or placebo capsules, in addition to conventional chemotherapy. The study intervention was initiated 2 weeks prior to the initiation of chemotherapy and continued until chemotherapy was completed, with participants receiving 2 g of LCS101 capsules thrice daily. Subjects were assessed for the development of hematological and nonhematological toxicities, as well as the tolerability and safety of the study intervention.Results. Sixty-five breast cancer patients were recruited, with 34 allocated to LCS101 and 31 allocated to

Unmonitored use of herbal medicine by patients with breast cancer is more frequent among those adopting dietary changes for cancer-related goals. Integrative physicians provide evidence-based guidance on the safe and effective use of herbal products, and reframe patient expectations from cancer-related goals to reducing symptoms and improving quality of life.

Poor spermatogenesis in patients with inflammation of the genital tract is associated with scrotal hyperthermia. These patients can benefit from acupuncture treatment. We conducted a study to verify whether the influence of acupuncture treatment on sperm output in patients with low sperm density is associated with a decrease in scrotal temperature. The experimental group included 39 men who were referred for acupuncture owing to low sperm output. The control group, which comprised 18 normal fertile men, was used to define a threshold (30.5 degrees C) above which scrotal skin temperature was considered to be high. Accordingly, 34 of the 39 participants in the experimental group initially had high scrotal skin temperature; the other five had normal values. Scrotal skin temperature and sperm concentration were measured before and after acupuncture treatment. The five patients with initially normal scrotal temperatures were not affected by the acupuncture treatment. Following treatment, 17 of the 34 patients with hyperthermia, all of whom had genital tract inflammation, had normal scrotal skin temperature; in 15 of these 17 patients, sperm count was increased. In the remaining 17 men with scrotal hyperthermia, neither scrotal skin temperature nor sperm concentration was affected by the treatment. About 90% of the latter patients suffered from high gonadotropins or mixed etiological factors. Low sperm count in patients with inflammation of the genital tract seems to be associated with scrotal hyperthermia, and, consequently, acupuncture treatment is recommended for these men.

Numerous botanicals have been shown to exhibit in vitro and in vivo anticancer activity, some of which is the result of the induction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cancer cells with a high ROS content. The present study compared sensitivities to a series of botanicals among cancer cell lines, using an XTT viability test, in order to create a specific cancer-herb profile. Of the 27 botanicals screened, 10 exhibited a cytotoxic effect, 7 of which were ROS-mediated. The sensitivity profiles of the ROS-inducing botanicals in 10 cancer cell lines were similar, unlike 3 cytotoxic ROS-independent botanicals that displayed divergent botanical-specific profiles. The correlation between sensitivity profiles of ROS-inducing botanicals suggests a common mechanism of action, in contrast to the varied mechanism of ROS-independent botanicals. This implies that the investigation of the anticancer activity of botanicals should start with the examination of ROS-mediated activity. Further investigation of ROS sensitivity among various tumor types is required in order to guide research into developing evidence-based guidelines in the use of botanicals for cancer treatment.

There is a need for new options for reducing the side effects of cancer treatment, without compromising efficacy, enabling patients to complete treatment regimens. The botanical compound LCS101 exhibits inhibitory effects on cancer cell growth, and reduces chemotherapy-induced hematological toxicities. The aim of the present study is to examine the selectivity of the effects of the compound, alone and in conjunction with conventional chemotherapy agents, on cancer cell proliferation. The effects of LCS101 were tested on a number of cancer cell lines (breast, MCF7, MDA-MB‑231; colorectal, HCT116; prostate, PC-3, DU-145) and on non-tumorigenic normal human epithelial cells (breast, MCF10A; prostate, EP#2). Cell viability was analyzed using an XTT assay and observed by light microscopy. Necrosis and apoptosis were examined using FACS analysis and immunoblotting. LCS101 selectively induced cell death in breast, colon and prostate cancer cell lines, as measured by XTT assay. Light microscopy and FACS analysis showed changes indicative of a necrotic process. LCS101 was also found to induce PARP-1 reduction in breast cancer cells, with no effect on non-tumorigenic breast epithelial cells. While LCS101 increased cell death in cancer cells exposed to doxorubicin and 5-FU, it showed a protective effect on non-tumorigenic human epithelial cells from chemotherapy-induced cell death. A similar selective effect was observed with apoptosis-associated PARP-1 cleavage. The findings demonstrate that the anti-proliferative effects exhibited by the botanical compound LCS101 are selective to cancer cells, and offer protection to non-tumorigenic normal epithelial cells from chemotherapy agents.