Zi Shan Chun

Functions

Zi Shan Chun is mainly used to treat refractory ovarian cancer and metastatic breast cancer. It also has significant therapeutic effect on lung cancer, nasopharyngeal cancer, and cephalocervical cancer.

Ingredients

Precautions

Side effects: A decrease in white blood cells and platelets, muscular and joint pain, hair loss, fatigue, anorexia, nausea, vomiting, and neurotoxicity have been documented. (1) , (2) , (3) , (4)

When Zi Shan Chun is used in conjunction with chemotherapy, a case of allergic shock (5) and another case of paralytic ileus (6) have been documented.

Pharmacology

Counteracting human cerebral glioma: Using the MTT method, it is determined that Zi Shan Chun has a cytotoxic action on the BT325 strain of glia mother cell tumor. Morphological studies and other tests have confirmed that Zi Shan Chun significantly inhibits the proliferation of BT325 cells, with cell division trailing off, and the death of cells peaking, at the G0/G1 phase which, morphologically speaking, is typical of cells dying off. (7)

Inhibiting cancer cell growth and inducing cell death: Experiments on Zi Shan Chun’s effect on the growth of laryngocarcinoma show that at the concentration level of 1×10e-8, Zi Shan Chun kills all laryngocarcinoma cells. At the low concentration level of 2.5×10e-9, Zi Shan Chun starts to affect the growth of laryngocarcinoma cells and at 5×10e-9, Zi Shan Chun is observed to exert a significant inhibitory effect on the growth of laryngocarcinoma cells. Furthermore, cell cycle analysis shows that at medium or low concentrations, Zi Shan Chun blocks Hep-2 cell growth at the G0/G1 stage, inducing cell death. (8)

Enhancing sensitivity to radiation: Experiments show that Zi Shan Chun’s effect on blocking cell growth at the G2-M stage is time and concentration-dependent. When subject to radiation only, BT325 tumor cells can become radiation-resistant. Radiation and Zi Shan Chun work synergistically with each other, however. Used together, their inhibitory and cytotoxic effects on the BT325 strain of human glia metrocyte tumor cells are significantly more pronounced than those of their singular use, which suggests that Zi Shan Chun significantly heightens BT325’s sensitivity to radiation. (9)

Effects on early fetus growth: Experiments were set up to study the effect of Zi Shan Chun on early mouse fetus growth. At three different dosage levels (4, 5, and 6mg/kg), Zi Shan Chun was administered to pregnant mice daily for five consecutive days, starting from the 6th day of pregnancy. The results showed that at all three dosage levels, Zi Shan Chun significantly affects the fetus’s growth and morphological development. This effect becomes more pronounced as the dosage increases. More specifically, biochemcal analyses of embryonic homogenate show that at the dosage levels of 4 and 5mg/kg, Zi Shan Chun raise the levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and lactic dehydrogenase (LDH), and lower the levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and total protein (TP). At 6mg/kg, Zi Shan Chun lowers the level of ALP while raising that of LDH. All of these changes are statistically significant. (10)

Clinical Applications

Mammary cancer
 One study treated 25 cases of advanced or recurrent mammary cancer with Zi Shan Chun in combination with chemotherapy. The cases were randomly divided into two groups: Group A was treated with Zi Shan Chun in combination with cis-diamine-dichloride-platinum (DDP) and VP16-213. Group B was treated with Zi Shan Chun in combination with pyrano-adriamycin. The results: Of the 10 case that were being treated for the first time, 3 entered complete remission and 4 entered partial remission, with a total effective rate of 70.0%; of the remaining 15 cases, which were receiving treatment for recurrent mammary cancer, 6 entered partial remission, with a total effective rate of 40.0%. Overall, the two groups had similar therapeutic results, except that Group B had a relatively moderate inhibition on bone marrow and digestive adverse effects. (11)

Another study treated 17 cases of recurrent, metastatic, platinum-resistant mammary cancer with Zi Shan Chun, reporting that of the 14 cases on which a therapeutic effect could be assessed, 43% entered complete remission and the remaining 57% entered partial remission, with a total effective rate 100%. (12)

Carcinoma of esophagus
 One study compared the effects of treating carcinoma of esophagus with Zi Shan Chun (TAX) alone, with Zi Shan Chun in combination with chemotherapy, and with chemotherapy alone. Cis-diamine-dichloride-platinum (DDP) and 5-florouracil (5-FU) were the chemotherapy evaluated. The results: the total effective rates for the group treated with Zi Zhan Chun alone, the combination treatment group, and the group treated with chemotherapy alone were 33.3%, 77%, and 53%, respectively. (13)

Ovarian cancer
 One study treated a total of 53 cases of ovarian and mammary cancer with Zi Shan Chun. Separate comparison groups were set up and treated with Zi Shan Chun in conjunction with chemotherapy. The results: The ovarian cancer treatment group had an effective rate of 36.4%, as compared to the comparison group’s 58.3% The mammary cancer treatment group had an effective rate of 56.2%, as compared to the comparison group’s 42.8%. (14)

Lung cancer
 In conjunction with cis-diamine-dichloride-platinum (DDP) chemotherapy, Zi Shan Chun was used to treat 14 cases of advanced non-parvicellular lung cancer, with a total effective rate of 50%. This rate is higher than the total effective rates reported for conventional chemotherapy treating non-parvicellular lung cancer. (15)

Another study treated 28 cases of advanced lung cancer with Zi Shan Chun. Another 28 cases were treated with Zi Shan Chun in conjunction with chemotherapy. The results: the group treated with Zi Shan Chun alone had a total effective rate of 57.1% and the group treated with Zi Shan Chun in conjunction with chemotherapy had a rate of 42.8%. (16)

Other cancers
 To varying degrees, Zi Shan Chun is also effective in treating recurring and refractory lymphoma (17) and nasolaryngeal carcinoma. (18)

References

  1. Wu Hai Ying, et al. Journal of Oncology. 1998;18(6):394-399.
  2. Lin Zhong, et al. Journal of Medicine. 1997;16(6):262-263.
  3. Sun Jun Zhong, et al. Journal of Research in Tumor Prevention and Treatment. 1999;26(3):205-206.
  4. Huang Ping. Journal of Drug Epidemiology. 1998;7(3):191.
  5. Yi Su Bei, et al. China Journal of Nursing. 1998;33(3):172-173.
  6. Li Jun Ling, et al. China Journal of Internal Medicine. 1996;35(7):443.
  7. Yan Wu Sheng, et al. Inner Mongolia Journal of Medicine. 1999;31(4):204-206.
  8. Ni Guan Sen, et al. Journal of Clinical Application in Otorhinolaryngology. 1999;13(6):265-267.
  9. Xiu Bo, et al. China Journal of Medicine. 1998;7892):146-147.
  10. Zhang Qing Lin, et al. Journal of Canceration, Aberration, and Mutation. 1997;9(5):284-288.
  11. Bai Hua, et al. China Journal of Clinical Research on Tumor. 1999;26(9):670-672.
  12. Jiang Jing Shan, et al. Journal of Applied Oncology. 1999;13(1):65-66.
  13. Li Xing Ya, et al. Journal of Cancer. 1999;18(3):327-329.
  14. Lin Jun. Journal of Shizhen Medicine. 1999;10(6):463.
  15. Liu Xian Hong, et al. Journal of Applied Oncology. 1998;12(1):56-57.
  16. Zhang Xuan Hua, et al. Journal of Shizhen Medicine. 1999;10(1):55-56.
  17. Jiang Song Fu, et al. Journal of Clinical Application in Hematology. 1999;12(4):176.
  18. Wu Hai Ying, et al. Journal of Oncology. 1998;18(6):394-399.