In ancient times, cinobufacini, which is extracted from the skin and the parotid venom glands of toad of the bufo genus[4] was used to treat symptoms like swelling and pain. In the present time, cinobufacinin injections are used to achieve satisfactory effect on Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in China.[5] Bufothionine is a major active component of cinobufacini. Bufothionine has been shown to suppress growth of cancerous liver cells in vitro . In vivo, bufothionine has also been showing relieved symptoms and anti inflammatory activities in tumor bearing mice.[5] Experiments were conducted in which cultured cancer cells were shown to have an increase in G2-M damage checkpoint, ensuring that growth of the cell will not continue until the damage to the DNA is corrected while also showing a drop in the G0 and G1 activity, which pertains to phase where there is cell growth and RNA production.[6]
Bufothionine is shown to induce autophagy in hepatocellular carcinomas by inhibiting JAK2/STAT3 pathways, which may present possibilities of anti cancer mechanism in bufothionine through cinobufacini injections.[5] Similarly, bufothionine has also been shown to increase the chances of cell death and decrease cell growth of gastric cancer related cells by inhibiting the PIM3 gene, which, in cancerous cells, increases the resistance of chemotherapeutic treatments.[7]
References
^Dai, L. P.; Gao, H. M.; Wang, Z. M.; Wang, W. H. (2007). "Isolation and structure identification of chemical constituents from the skin of Bufo bufo gargarizans". Yao Xue Xue Bao = Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica. 42 (8): 858–861. PMID17944235.
^Dai, L. P.; Wang, Z. M.; Gao, H. M.; Jiang, X.; Ding, G. Z. (2007). "Determination of bufothionine in skin of Bufo bufo gargarizans and Huachansu injection". Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi = Zhongguo Zhongyao Zazhi = China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica. 32 (3): 224–226. PMID17432144.
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