Inhibitory effect of berberine on the mediastinal lymph node metastasis produced by orthotopic implantation of Lewis lung carcinoma

We examined the effect of berberine, a major component with anti-fungal pro perties contained in Coptidis Rhizoma and Phellodendri Cortex, on the lymph node metastasis of murine lung cancer. Oral administration of berberine fo r 14 days significantly inhibited the spontaneous mediastinal lymph node me tastasis produced by orthotopic implantation of Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) into the lung parenchyma in a dose-dependent manner, but did not affect the tumor growth at the implantation site of the lung. Combined treatment with berberine and an anti-cancer drug, CPT-11, resulted in a marked inhibition of tumor growth at the implantation site and of lymphatic metastasis, as c ompared with either treatment alone. Antiactivator protein-1 (anti-AP-1) tr anscriptional activity of non-cytotoxic concentrations of berberine caused the inhibition of the invasiveness of LLC cells through the repression of e xpression of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA). (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.