Oral administration of Qing-Shu-Yi-Qi-Tang reduce lung cancer-induced cachexia in mice

This study is to investigate anti-inflammatory and anti-cachectic effect of Qing-Shu-Yi-Qi-Tang (QSYQT) in RAW 264.7 cells and Lewis lung cancer cells bearing mice. We examined the effect of QSYQT on LPS-induced inflammatory activity in a murine macrophage cell line, Raw 264.7. We evaluated cachectic parameters, such as weight loss, food intake and tumor size in tumor-bearing and non-tumor-bearing mice treated with QSYQT decoction or a normal diet. Cytokine production in cell culture and in cachectic mice was quantified by ELISA. NF-kB expression was measured using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). QSYQT significantly reduced the IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α production in LPSstimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Treatment of QSYQT prevented weight loss in tumor-bearing mice without affecting food intake or tumor growth. Furthermore, the level of proinflammatory cytokines, IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α in sera were significantly reduced in tumor-bearing mice treated with QSYQT. NF-kB expression in spleen of LLC-derived mice was decreased in the presence of QSYQT. Our results revealed that QSYQT exerts an anti-cachectic effect on LLC-induced cachectic mice. The effect is conclusively associated with modulation of IL-6 production through NF-kB.