The effects of biscoclaurine alkaloid cepharanthine on mammalian cells: Implications for cancer, shock, and inflammatory diseases

The extract of Stephania cepharantha Hayata contains biscoclaurine alkaloids such as cepharanthine, which have been used widely in Japan for the treatment of patients with radiation-induced leukopenia, alopecia areata, exudative otitis media, and venomous snakebites. Many investigations have proven...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Life sciences (1973) 2007-02, Vol.80 (12), p.1073-1079
Main Authors: Furusawa, Shinobu, Wu, Jianghong
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alkaloids - chemistry
Alkaloids - pharmacology
Alkaloids - therapeutic use
Animals
Anti-inflammatory
Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal - chemistry
Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal - pharmacology
Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal - therapeutic use
Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic - pharmacology
Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic - therapeutic use
Antitumor
Apoptosis
Apoptosis - drug effects
Benzylisoquinolines - chemistry
Biscoclaurine alkaloid
Cepharanthine
Disease Models, Animal
Humans
Molecular Structure
Multidrug resistance
Neoplasms - drug therapy
Neoplasms - pathology
Shock, Septic - drug therapy
Shock, Septic - immunology
Tumor Cells, Cultured
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Summary:The extract of Stephania cepharantha Hayata contains biscoclaurine alkaloids such as cepharanthine, which have been used widely in Japan for the treatment of patients with radiation-induced leukopenia, alopecia areata, exudative otitis media, and venomous snakebites. Many investigations have proven that the alkaloid cepharanthine exerts diverse pharmacological effects that include membrane-stabilizing, multidrug resistance-reversing, antitumor, apoptosis-inducing, anti-inflammatory, free radical scavenging, anti-HIV-1, antiallergic and immunomodulatory effects. The purpose of our review is to describe various therapeutic approaches using cepharanthine and their potential efficacy.
ISSN:0024-3205
1879-0631
DOI:10.1016/j.lfs.2006.12.001