Shen-Cao granules formulated based on traditional Chinese medicine alleviates bone marrow suppression caused by platinum-based anticancer reagents

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to evaluate effects of Shen-Cao granules for the prevention of thrombocytopenia caused by anticancer chemotherapy. METHODS In this prospective study, a total of 200 patients with various malignant tumors were enrolled and evenly divided into a Shen-Cao granule treatment (n = 100) and a control group (n = 100). After 2 cycles chemotherapy with any combination of platinum-based drugs (cisplatin, carboplatin, and nedaplatin), the blood platelet (PLT) counts, levels of the PLT production regulator thrombopoietin (TPO), PLT aggregation rates, and the PLT activation marker CD62P expressions were monitored for 2 weeks. RESULTS During 2 weeks of post-chemotherapy, the mean values of the minimum PLT count were 49.65 ± 7.35 × 10/L in the treatment group and 31.56 ± 9.32 × 10/L in the control group. The PLT count in the treatment group reached the lowest value 1.8 days later and recovered to a concentration ≥100 × 10/L 3 days earlier than in the control group. The concentrations of the TPO were 71.43 ± 1.74 and 87.24 ± 0.92 ng/mL in the treatment group and 65.75 ± 1.39 and 67.75 ± 0.67 ng/mL in the control group at 7 and 14 days post-chemotherapy, respectively. The maximum PLT aggregation rate declined after chemotherapy in the treatment group from 58.14 ± 11.46% to 52.89 ± 10.52%, while it increased in the control group from 56.94 ± 10.55% to 61.75 ± 12.26%. Coordinately, the expression of CD62P in the treatment group decreased from 6.17 ± 0.59% to 4.89 ± 0.72%, while it increased from 6.09 ± 0.75% to 7.75 ± 0.67% in the control group. CONCLUSION Our study demonstrated that Shen-Cao granule treatment alleviated thrombocytopenia after chemotherapy, and reduced tumor-induced PLT activation and aggregation.