Abstract: AIM: To study the synergistic and attenuating effects of mulberry polysaccharides on the chemotherapy of liver cancer ascites tumor-bearing mice by regulating the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. METHODS: Ninety SPF male Kunming mice were randomly divided into normal group, model group, cyclophosphamide group, mulberry polysaccharide group and mulberry polysaccharide + cyclophosphamide group. Liver cancer ascites tumor-bearing mice were prepared, and each administration group was given 30 mg/kg of cyclophosphamide or (and) 200 mg/kg of mulberry polysaccharide and administered orally. The normal group and the model group were administrated with 10 mL/kg saline. The tumor suppression rate, liver, spleen and other indexes, tumor tissue VEGF and inflammatory factor content, and PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway-related protein expression were observed in mice.RESULTS:Cyclophosphamide group, mulberry polysaccharide group and mulberry polysaccharide + cyclophosphamide group mice body weight, tumor mass, tumor tissue VEGF, TNF-α, IL-6, PI3K, AKT and mTOR phosphorylation levels were lower than the model group, and the level of IL-1β was higher than the model group; mulberry polysaccharide + cyclophosphamide group mice were observed with body weight, tumor inhibition rate, tumor tissue VEGF, TNF-α, IL-6, PI3K, AKT and The mTOR phosphorylation level higher than the mulberry polysaccharide group and cyclophosphamide group, and the tumor mass and IL-1β level were lower than the mulberry polysaccharide group and cyclophosphamide group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Morus alba polysaccharide combined with cyclophosphamide can effectively inhibit tumor proliferation of liver cancer ascites tumor-bearing mice and exert attenuating effect. The mechanism may be related to the down-regulation of PI3K /AKT/mTOR pathway expression.

Key words: liver cancer, chemotherapy drugs, PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, mulberry polysaccharide