Cancer Lett. 2002 Sep; 183(1): 23-30.

Isoliquiritigenin suppresses pulmonary metastasis of mouse renal cell carcinoma.

Yamazaki S, Morita T, Endo H, Hamamoto T, Baba M, Joichi Y, Kaneko S, Okada Y, Okuyama T, Nishino H, Tokue A.

Department of Hospital Pharmacy, Jichi Medical School, 3311 Yakushiji, Minamikawachi, Tochigi 329-0498, Japan. s-yama@jichi.ac.jp

Isoliquiritigenin is a chalcone isolated from licorice and shallots. The ability of isoliquiritigenin to suppress metastasis was examined in a pulmonary metastasis model of mouse renal cell carcinoma. Isoliquiritigenin significantly reduced pulmonary metastasis, without any weight loss or leukocytopenia. Isoliquiritigenin suppressed in vitro proliferation of carcinoma cells, potentiated nitric oxide production by lipopolysaccharide-stimulated macrophages, and facilitated cytotoxicity of splenic lymphocytes in vitro. These findings suggest activation of macrophages, activation of cytotoxicity of lymphocytes, and direct cytotoxicity as possible mechanisms of metastasis suppression by isoliquiritigenin. In addition, isoliquiritigenin prevented severe leukocytopenia caused by administration of 5-fluorouracil.