Epirubicin hydrochloride (Pharmorubicin) is an adriamycin derivative, a topoisomerase (Topo) inhibitor, and a Forkhead box protein p3 (Foxp3) inhibitor. Epirubicin hydrochloride has antitumor activity.

METHODS: Neuroglioma cells U-87 and neuronal primary cultures were treated with Epirubicin hydrochloride (0.5-100 µM) for 48 h. Cell viability was measured by MTT assay.
RESULTS: Epirubicin significantly reduced the viability of rat U-87 cells in a concentration-dependent manner, with an IC50 of 6.3 µM. In contrast to U-87 glioma cells, rat normal neuronal cells were resistant to Epirubicin. [1]
METHODS: Human breast cancer cells MDA-MB-231 and SK-BR-3 were treated with Epirubicin hydrochloride (2-3 µM) for 48 h, and apoptosis was detected by Flow cytometry.
RESULTS: Epirubicin significantly increased sub-G cells in G2/M block. [2]

METHODS: To test the antitumor activity in vivo, Epirubicin hydrochloride (7 mg/kg) was administered intravenously three times at four-day intervals to BALB/c nu/nu nude mice bearing MDA-MB-231 xenografts.
RESULTS: Epirubicin reduced tumor growth by half and resulted in a more than 10% weight loss. the IR value of Epirubicin at 7 mg/kg was 53.3%. [2]

Hep G2 cells (500 cells/well, monolayer) are plated in a 96-well plate. The next day the cells are treated with Epirubicin in the medium. At the end of the incubation periods, 15% volume of MTT dye solution is added. After 1 hr of incubation at 37℃, an equal volume of solubilization/stop solution (dimethylsul-foxide) is added to each well for an additional 1 hr incubation. The absorbance of the reaction solution at 570 nm is recorded.(Only for Reference)