惡性腫瘤是國人十大死亡原因的首位,大腸癌躍居癌症死亡的第三位。有文獻報導大腸癌的復發或轉移和基質金屬蛋白酶MMP-2、MMP-7和MMP-9的過度表達有正相關。黃耆皂苷Ⅳ(astragaloside Ⅳ)是黃耆之主要成分。本研究結果發現黃耆皂苷Ⅳ在濃度10~100 ng/mL作用12~48小時皆可促進人類大腸癌HT-29細胞株的生長,尤其在50 ng/mL時更明顯。研究結果亦發現MMP-2 mRNA在黃耆皂苷Ⅳ濃度10及20 ng/mL時有明顯表達,但在濃度50~100ng/mL時則有抑制的作用。黃耆皂苷Ⅳ在濃度20~100 ng/mL時TIMP-1 mRNA有明顯表達,而MMP-7、MMP-9及TIMP-2皆沒有表達。
Malignant tumor (cancer) is the most important disease of the top ten causes of death in Taiwan. Among cancer types, colon cancer is the third most common cause of cancer-related mortality. The metastases and recurrent rate of colon cancer was correlated with the mRNA level of Matrix Metalloproteinase (MMP). Astragaloside Ⅳ is one of the important constituents of Huang-qi. In the present study, our results showed that the cell proliferation rate of HT-29 was stimulated by treatment with Astragaloside Ⅳ at 10-100 ng/mL for 12-48 hrs, especially high at 50 ng/mL. The mRNA level of MMP-2 was elevated by Astragaloside Ⅳ at 10 and 20 ng/mL. However, this level was decreased by Astragaloside Ⅳ at 50 and 100 ng/mL. The mRNA level of TIMP-1 was increased by Astragaloside Ⅳ at 20-100 ng/mL. In contrast, the mRNA levels of MMP-7, MMP-9, and TIMP-2 were not detectable in HT-29.