Anti-tumor effect of matrine combined with cisplatin on rat models of cervical cancer

Abstract

Objective

To observe the anti-tumor effect of matrine combined with cisplatin on U14 rat models of cervical cancer.

Methods

A total of 80 female Kunming rats were used to establish U14 rat models of cervical cancer and then divided into groups I, II, III, IV, with 20 rats in each. For Group I, the control group, injection of normal saline was given around the tumors. For Group II, injection of 2 mg/kg cisplatin was given around the tumors. For Group III, injection of 75 mg/kg matrine was given around the tumors while the combined injection of matrine and cisplatin was given for Group IV with the same doses as Groups II and III. The animals were sacrificed 10 d after the injection and tumors were taken out for the comparisons of tumor weights after injection and calculation of anti-tumor rates, while thymus and spleen were taken for thymus index and spleen index. Blood in eyeball was collected for determination of changes in serum creatinine and urea nitrogen levels. Sections of tumor issue were prepared and morphological changes in tumor tissue cells were observed by using immunohistochemistry technique.

Results

After injection, the thymus index and spleen index in Groups III and IV were significantly higher than those in Groups I and II (P < 0.05) while the two indexes in Group II were significantly lower than Group I (P < 0.05). The tumor weights in Groups II and IV were significantly smaller than those in Groups I and III (P < 0.05) with significantly higher anti-tumor rates than Groups I and III (P < 0.05). The serum creatinine and urea nitrogen levels in Groups III and IV were significantly lower than Group II (P < 0.05) and the two indicators in Group III were significantly lower than those in Group IV (P < 0.05). The observation under the histological microscope showed densely arranged tumor cells in Group I, growing as a crumby structure and diffuse appearance, with hyperchromatic and large nuclei, and abundant cytoplasm. In the case of Group II, it showed less tumor cells, with extensive degenerative necrosis, sparse arrangement and karyopyknosis as well as karyoclasis. For Group III, necrosis of tumor cells in different sizes and heterogeneous color in nuclei were observed. For Group IV, the number of tumor cells was significantly smaller than Groups I and III and the tumor cells presented an appearance of crumby structure as cancer nests, with more proliferation of connective tissue.

Conclusions

The treatment of matrine combined with cisplatin can significantly improve the anti-tumor effect on U14 rats with cervical cancer, which can be a new option for the treatment for cervical cancer.