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Published on: April 1, 2015
Echinacoside improves hematopoietic function in 5-FU-induced myelosuppression mice
Saisai Wang1, Gang Zheng2, Shousheng Tian3
1Cancer Institute, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, China National Ministry of Education, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310009, China; Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Research Center of Infection and Immunity, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China.
Echinacoside (ECH) improves bone marrow hematopoietic function in mice with 5-fluorouracil-induced myelosuppression. This natural compound shows potential as a therapy during chemotherapy or stem cell transplantation.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacology
- Hematology
- Natural Products
Background:
- Chemotherapy, such as 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), often causes myelosuppression, leading to reduced blood cell production.
- Bone marrow depression impairs the hematopoietic system, increasing risks during cancer treatment and transplantation.
- Echinacoside (ECH), a compound found in Echinacea, is explored for its potential therapeutic benefits.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of echinacoside (ECH) in restoring hematopoietic function in a mouse model of 5-FU-induced bone marrow depression.
- To investigate the in vitro and in vivo effects of ECH on bone marrow cells and stromal cells.
Main Methods:
- In vitro assays (CCK8, morphology) assessed bone marrow (BM) and bone marrow stromal cell (BMSC) proliferation.
- In vivo studies involved daily oral administration of ECH (15 mg/kg) or saline to 5-FU treated mice for 12 days.
- Hematopoietic progenitor cell assays (colony-forming cell assay), BMSC culture, ELISA for GM-CSF, RT-PCR for EPO/GM-CSF, and Western blotting for signaling pathways were performed.
Main Results:
- ECH stimulated BM cell growth in vitro but not BMSCs from 5-FU treated mice.
- In vivo, ECH administration increased total hematopoietic and GM progenitor cells to control levels, while BFU progenitors remained unaffected.
- ECH-treated BMSCs showed enhanced growth and increased GM-CSF secretion, with PI3K pathway activation observed in suppressed BM cells.
Conclusions:
- Echinacoside effectively improves bone marrow hematopoietic function in mice experiencing 5-FU-induced myelosuppression.
- ECH demonstrates potential as an alternative therapeutic agent for patients undergoing chemotherapy or hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
