苦參堿類生物堿（苦參堿、氧化苦參堿、槐果堿、槐定堿）可通過下調(diào)肉瘤細胞表達各種細胞生長因子（如血管內(nèi)皮生長因子等），阻滯血管新生，間接抑制肉瘤生長；還能直接抑制肉瘤細胞增殖并促進其凋亡，產(chǎn)生抗肉瘤作用。苦參堿類生物堿還可通過下調(diào)P-糖蛋白、肺耐藥蛋白、DNA拓撲異構(gòu)酶的過度表達，解除肉瘤細胞的多藥耐藥性，提高其對化療藥的敏感性。

Matrine-type alkaloids (matrine, oxymatrine, sophocarpine, sophoridine) can indirectly inhibit sarcoma growth and angiogenesis by down-regulating the expression of cellular growth factors (eg. vascular endothelial growth factor) of sarcoma cells. Also, matrine-type alkaloids can directly inhibit proliferation and increase apoptosis of sarcoma cells to exert anti-sarcoma effects. By down-regulating the overexpression of P-glycoprotein, lung resistance protein, and DNA topoisomerase, matrine-type alkaloids relieve multi-drug resistance of sarcoma cells to enhance its sensitivity to chemotherapeutics.