Objective: To investigate the impacts of the drug-containing serum of decomposed formulas based on Jianpi Huoxue Jiedu method on growth

rate of apoptosis

apoptosis related genes and autophagy gene expression t in human colorectal cancer cell line HCT-116 cells. Method: The experiment was divided into a control group

Jianpi group

Huoxue group

Jiedu group

Jianpi+Huoxue group Jianpi+Jiedu group and Jiapi+Huoxue+Jiedu group respectively

using the acid phosphatase enzymatic (APA)

flow cytometry (FCM) and Western blot to assay each drug-containing serum' treated tumor cell's growth

apoptosis rate changes

apoptosis-related genes Caspase-3 expression and autophagy LC3 gene expression. Result: After 10% drug-containing serum treated for 24 h

it showed inhibited proliferation of HCT-116 cells

however

no significant difference between the groups was found. The decrease in cell number and the shrinking in volume could be observed by light microscope after drug-containing serum treated for 24 h. Early and late apoptotic rate compared with the control group showed no significant difference

but autophagy related protein LC3 appeared active shear bands. Conclusion: The drug-containing serum of Jianpi Huoxue Jiedu method can inhibit human colorectal cancer cell line HCT-116 cells on proliferation in vitro. The mechanism may be closely related to the autophagy pathway.