Research Progress on the Anti-Tumor Mechanism and Reversal of Multidrug Resistance of Zuojin Pill and its Main Components, Evodiamine and Berberine

Abstract

Background Cancer is one of the most serious diseases worldwide that threatens human health and leads to death. Chemotherapy is the main clinical method to treat tumors, but, despite the development of new chemotherapeutic drugs, the multidrug resistance (MDR) of cancer cells to conventional chemotherapeutic drugs remains a major cause of failure in cancer prevention and treatment. Therefore, overcoming this resistance has become a major challenge in cancer prevention and treatment. Method With the in-depth study of traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) for the treatment of tumors, many such medicines have been found that can reverse MDR and enhance the sensitivity of chemotherapy. ZJW is a famous traditional medicine formula from China, recorded first in an ancient medicine book named Danxi Xinfa. It is composed of Huanglian and Wuzhuyu in a ratio of 6:1 by mass. Conclusion ZJW can inhibit proliferation, induce apoptosis, inhibit invasion and metastasis, and reverse MDR of tumor cells through multiple pathways and multiple targets. In this paper, we briefly review recent research on ZJW and its main components, evodiamine and berberine, in the anti-tumor mechanism and reversal of multidrug resistance.

Application of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Inhibiting the PD-1/PD-L1 Pathway in the Treatment of Gastric and Colon Cancers

“…28 Berberine (BBR), an alkaloid derived from Coptis chinensis Franch, has been used as a therapeutic agent in the treatment of cancer, bacterial infections, diabetes, and cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases. [29][30][31][32] Berberine has been shown to have minimal cytotoxic effects on healthy cells, but it has antiproliferative effects on cancer cells (eg, breast, liver, and CRC cells). 33,34 In gastric cancer animal experiments, Yang Liu et al showed that BBR could enhance the sensitivity of tumor cells to cocultured T cells by reducing the level of PD-L1 in cancer cells.…”