What is Cepharanthin?

Question

I have a problem recently-mass loss of hair. So
the doctor made a prescripiton for me. The medicine is Cepharanthin tab. The doc told me that I had to drink a lot of water before taking the medicine; otherwise, my face would turn blushed. I feel strange about his suggestion.
I don't want to take medicine that would change my appearance, such as steroids.
So my question is:
1.Will there be any side effect about using Cepharanthin tab?
2.The function of the medicine is for stopping losing hair or helping hair grow?
3.Do I have to keep using it if I feel the symptom of my disease is soothed?
4.What's the mail funciton of Cepharanthin?

Thank you if you can tell me the answers.

Answer 1

Cepharanthin, a multidrug resistant modifier, is a substrate for P- glycoprotein

P-glycoprotein modulators are respected to be multidrug resistance reversing agents in cancer chemotherapy. Some calcium channel blockers, calmodulin inhibitors or immunosuppressive agents have been used in clinical studies, although the dose of these drugs required to test in vitro experimental data might cause potent pharmacological effects which are not desirable in patients. By using LLC-GA5-COL150 cells that express P-glycoprotein specifically on the apical membranes, we examined the transport of anticancer drugs mediated by P-glycoprotein. Cepharanthin, a biscoclaurine alkaloid, potently inhibits the transport of vinblastine and daunorubicin, both commonly used anticancer agents. The 50% inhibitory concentration of cepharanthin on daunorubicin transport was 2.06 microM. Combined inhibitory effects on daunorubicin transport were observed when cepharanthin was used together with cyclosporin A, a potent immunosuppressive agent and P-glycoprotein modulator. Cepharanthin itself was transported by P-glycoprotein. Transcellular transport of cepharanthin across LLC-GA5-COL150 cell monolayers was saturable when its concentration was under 5 microM, and the transport was inhibited by P-glycoprotein modulators. These results indicate that cepharanthin can reverse multidrug resistance, and proper combination with other P-glycoprotein modulators could potentiate its inhibitory effect on expelling the anticancer drugs out of the cell via P-glycoprotein.

Hope it helps
Nancy