OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of 5-fluorouracil-FU in combination with astragalus membranaceus(AM) on amino acid metabolism in mice model of gastric carcinoma induced by 3-methylcholanthrene(MC). METHODS: Mice gastric carcinoma models were established by 3-methylcholanthrene induction and randomly divided into different groups, and received 5-FU treatment (group A) 5-FU plus AM (group B), 5-FU plus a high dose of AM(group C), no treatment (group D). Normal mice were used as control (group N). Free amino acid in the tumor specimens were examined. RESULTS: The levels of free Valine, Methionine, Leucine, Arginine and cystine in the tumor specimens in group D were significantly higher than that in group N(P< 0.05). The levels of free serine in group A, B, C, D were significantly higher than that in group N. The levels of free glutamic acid in group A, B were significantly higher than that in group N(P< 0.05). The levels of free proline in group C, D were significantly higher than that in group P, N(P< 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The increasing levels of free serine and proline in tumor specimens in gastric cancer mice model reveals metabolic disturbance of amino acid. 5-FU plus astragalus membranaceus can decrease the level of free glutamic acid in the mice models, and inhibit tumor growth.
OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of 5-fluorouracil-FU in combination with astragalus membranaceus(AM) on amino acid metabolism in mice model of gastric carcinoma induced by 3-methylcholanthrene(MC). METHODS:Micegastric carcinoma models were established by 3-methylcholanthrene induction and randomly divided into different groups, and received 5-FU treatment (group A) 5-FU plus AM (group B), 5-FU plus a high dose of AM(group C), no treatment (group D). Normal mice were used as control (group N). Free amino acid in the tumor specimens were examined. RESULTS: The levels of free Valine, Methionine, Leucine, Arginine and cystine in the tumor specimens in group D were significantly higher than that in group N(P< 0.05). The levels of free serine in group A, B, C, D were significantly higher than that in group N. The levels of free glutamic acid in group A, B were significantly higher than that in group N(P< 0.05). The levels of free proline in group C, D were significantly higher than that in group P, N(P< 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The increasing levels of free serine and proline in tumor specimens in gastric cancermice model reveals metabolic disturbance of amino acid. 5-FU plus astragalus membranaceus can decrease the level of free glutamic acid in the mice models, and inhibit tumor growth.