在民間盛傳為藥虎之一的台灣金線連對保肝作用有顯著功效，本研究以台灣金線連為研究題材，試著探討台灣金線連是否具有抑制癌細胞生長的能力。以不同分化程度的肝癌細胞HepG2、Hep3B、Mal5、SK進行細胞生長抑制實驗，結果顯示在HepG2細胞株中對台灣金線連的感受性特別好，在10μg/ml濃度下即有抑制近50 %生長率的效果出現，顯示金線連對於分化程度較好的肝癌細胞有較明顯抑制生長的效果。在加藥後GSH量有顯著下降的功能，CuZn-SOD量有漸增的趨勢，catalase量在加藥後有漸少的趨勢。SOD活性隨時間而增加，catalase活性在24小時後，有相對減少的趨勢，在48小時後相對減少的量最多，在72小時後相對的減少量最少。GPx、SOD、catalase mRNA level皆有明顯之差異。luciferase activity assay結果顯示，加藥組與對照組之比較轉染具有NF-κB結合位而影響轉錄子活性約下降4.6倍；轉染具有AP-1結合位而影響轉錄子活性約下降6.1倍，兩者均有明顯之差異。推測金線連透過抑制NFκB，AP-1與GCS-HS啟動區結合造成GCS-HS mRNA合成減少，進而造成GSH表現量減少，因而使得HepG2細胞生長受到抑制。在外加過氧化氫的實驗結果顯示，以台灣金線連先處理過HepG2細胞後在1,2,4小時內對超氧自由基、過氧化氫有比較強的清償能力。; Anoectochilus formosanus is a traditional folk herb that was thought to have effect on liver function protection. Previous studies showed that rat treated with water extracts of A. formosanus had better recovery of liver injury with reduction of the AST and ALT level. To determine the anticancer activity of A. formosanus on hepatocellular carcinoma, HepG2 cells were treated with serial concentration of water extracts of A. formosanus. Significant decrease of HepG2 cell proliferation was found with treatment of A. formosanus at 10 mg/ml. The glutathione mRNA level and the NFκB-dependent transcriptional activity were both decreased at 24 hour after A. formosanus treatment, as revealed by the quantitative RT-PCR and luciferase reporter gene analysis. Taken together, this study result indicated that A. formosanus may have the anticancer activity to hepatocellular carcinoma cell line and may elicit its effect through the free radical scavenger system..
