Effects of apigenin on cell proliferation of human pancreatic carcinoma cell line BxPC-3 in vitro

Objective： To observe the effects of apigenin on cell proliferation of human pancreatic carcinoma cell line BxPC-3 in vitro. Methods：The inhibitive effects of apigenin at different concentrations （0 μmol/L, 100 μmol/L, 200 μmoL/L, and 400 μmol/L） on human pancreatic carcinoma cell line BxPC-3 were detected by MTT assays, transmission electron microscope, agarose gel electrophoresis and flow cytometry. The immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of Bcl-2 and Bax gene. Results： Apigenin at different concentrations could inhibit the proliferation of human pancreatic carcinoma cell lines BxPC-3, and the inhibitive effect was dose-dependent. The cell cycle of pancreatic carcinoma cells was arrested at G2/M phase. The results of immunohistochemistry showed that the density of apigenin increased, and the expression of Bcl-2 gene was reduced gradually, At the same time the expression of Bax gene was enhanced. Conclusion ：Apigenin could inhibit the proliferation of human pancreatic carcinoma cell lines BxPC-3 in vitro. The effect of apoptosis was accompanied with the expression of Bcl-2 decrease and Bax increase.     

Effects of inotodiol extracts from inonotus obliquus on proliferation cycle and apoptotic gene of human lung adenocarcinoma cell line A549

Objective:To observe the proliferation inhibition,apoptosis,and cell proliferation cycle of human lung carcinoma cell line A549 treated with Inotodiol extracts from Inonotus obliquus and explore the possibility of Inotodiol extracts from Inonotus obliquus as a new tumor chemopreventive drug.Methods:Human lung cancer cell line A549 was treated with different concentrations of Inotodiol,the effects of Inotodiol on cell apoptosis,the expression of Ki-67,Bcl-2,Bax,and p53 and cell cycle were detected by TUNEL assay,immunohistochemistry, and flow cytometry assay respectively.Results:Inotodiol extracts had antiproliferation effect on human lung carcinoma cell line A549.The expression of Ki-67 decreased with the increase of Inotodiol concentration and exposure time(P<0.05),in a dose-dependent and time-dependent manner.The typical characteristics of the apoptosis of A549 cells treated with Inotodiol were observed,and the apoptotic rate of A549 cell at 48 h was the highest by TUNEL assay.Inotodiol arrested A549 cells in the S phase,and apoptotic peak was observed by flow cytometry.Immunocytochemistry indicated that the expression of Bcl-2 protein decreased,while the expression of p53 and Bax proteins increased in A549 cells treated with Inotodiol,compared with the control cells(P<0.05).Conclusion:Inotodiol can inhibit proliferation and induce the apoptosis of A549 cells,and its molecular mechanism may be associated with the up-regulating expression of p53 and bax proteins and down-regulating expression of Bcl-2 protein,which arrested A549 cells in S phase.     

Effects of ursolic acid on the proliferation and apoptosis of human ovarian cancer cells

This study examined the effects of ursolic acid （UA） on the proliferation and apoptosis of a human ovarian cancer cell line, CAOV3. The CAOV3 cells were cultured in the RPMI 1640 media and treated with different concentrations of UA （0, 10, 20, 40 μmol/L）. The proliferation rate of the CAOV3 cells was determined by MTT assay. The apoptosis rate was measured by flow cytometry. ERK activity was detected by immunoprecipitation and the expressions of p-ERK1/2, MKP-1, Bax and Bcl-2 by Western blotting. The results showed that the proliferation rate was significantly decreased in the cells treated with UA as compared with that in the non-treated cells （P〈0.05）. The intracellular ERK activity and p-ERK1/2 expression were also reduced in the UA-treated cells, while the MKP-1 expression was elevated. Moreover, the apoptosis was found in the CAOV3 cells exposed to UA; the Bax expression was increased and the Bcl-2 expression decreased. The apoptosis rate in the UA-treated cells was much higher than that in the non-treated cells （P〈0.05）. It is concluded that UA can inhibit the proliferation of CAOV3 cells by suppressing the ERK activity and the expression of p-ERK1/2. And it can also induce the apoptosis of the CAOV3 cells by up-regulating the Bax expression and down-regulating the Bcl-2 expression.     

Effects of Oxymatrine on the Apoptosis of Human Esophageal Carcinoma Eca109 Cell Line and Its Mechanism

The effects of Oxymatrine （Oxy） on the proliferation and apoptosis of human esophageal carcinoma Ecal09 cell line and the mechanism were investigated. The human esophageal carcinoma Eca 109 celis were cultured in vitro. The Oxy-induced apoptosis of Eca 109 cells was assayed by using flow cytometry. The expressions of p-ERKII2, Cyclin D1, p21^waf/cipl, Bax and Bcl-2 were detected by Western blot. Flow cytometry revealed that Oxy could induce the apoptosis of Eca l09 cells. Western blot showed that Oxy of different concentrations suppressed the expressions of p-ERK1/2, Cyclin D1 and Bcl-2, but up-regulated the expression of p21waf/cip1 and Bax, and the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 was increased. It was suggested the Oxy could induce the apoptosis of Eca l09 cells, which might be related to the upregulation of p21waf/cip1 and the downregulation of p-ERK1/2, Cyclin D1 and p21^waf/cip1. The possible pathway may be related to Bcl-2/Bax.     

Altered gene expression reveals molecular mechanisms underlying oridonin-induced apoptosis of multiple myeloma LP-1 cells

Objective: To investigate the effect of oridonin on proliferation and invasion of human multiple myeloma LP-1 cells and the underlying mechanism. Methods: LP-1 cells in culture medium in vitro were treated with oridonin at the different concentration. Cell proliferation was measured by Microwave Theory and Techniques (MTT) assay and cell apoptotic rate was detected by flow cytometry. Morphology of cell apoptosis was observed by transmission electron microscope. Expressions of Bax, Bcl-2, Caspase-3, NF-κB as well as I-κB mRNA were detected by real-time PCR. Results: The MTT assays and flow cytometry revealed that oridonin could inhibit the growth of LP-1 cells and cause apoptosis significantly; the suppression was both in time- and dose-dependent manner. Marked morphological changes of cell apoptosis were found under a transmission electron microscope after the cells were treated with oridonin at 25 μmol/L for 24 h. Along with the apoptotic process, Bcl-2, Caspase-3,NF-κB gene expressions were down-regulated (P<0.05). On the contrast, the Bax and I-κB gene expressions were up-regulated (P<0.05). Conclusion: Oridonin could inhibit the proliferation of LP-1 cells via inducing apoptosis. We concluded that oridonin induces apoptosis in LP-1 cells via activation of caspase-3 as well as down-regulation of Bcl-2 and up-regulation of Bax expression. The results suggested that oridonin could induce apoptosis of LP-1 cells through mitochondria- and caspase3-dependent pathways. Meanwhile, the inhibition of NF-κB and the activation of I-κB indicate pro-apoptotic stimuli. In one word, oridonin might be an important potential anti-myeloma reagent.     

Effect of amlodipine on apoptosis of human breast carcinoma MDA-MB-231 cells

Objective： To elucidate the effects of amlodipine on the proliferation and apoptosis of human breast carcinoma MDA-MB-231 cells. Methods： Light microscopy was used to determine the effects of amlodipine on cell morphology; Flow cytometry was used to quantitate cells undergoing apoptosis; the expression of a cell cycle-related protein, proliferating cell nuclear antigen （PCNA） and an antiapoptosis protein, Bcl-2 were assessed by immunocytochemistry. Results： Amlodipine concentration of 8.25umol/L （1/2 of ICs0） affected the morphology, decreased the expression of PCNA and Bcl-2 and induced apoptosis of human breast carcinoma MDA-MB-231 cells. Conclusion： The effect of amlodipine on the antiproliferation of human breast carcinoma MDA-MB-231 cells is related to inducement of apoptosis, and the decrease of the expression of Bcl-2 and PCNA may be the possible mechanism for proliferation inhibitory and inducement of apoptosis.     

Paris saponin I induces G<Subscript>2</Subscript>/M cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in human gastric carcinoma SGC7901 cells

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Paris saponinⅠ(PSⅠ)on human gas-tric carcinoma cell growth and apoptosis and to explore the potential mechanisms.The proliferation of SGC7901 cells was monitored by the MTT cell viability assay,while the nuclear morphology of apoptotic cells was assessed by Hoechst 33258 staining.Flow cytometry was performed to analyze the cell cycle progression of propidium iodide(PI)-stained SGC7901 cells and the apoptotic rate of annex-inⅤ/PI-stained cells.Western blotting was used to examine the expression of several cell cycle proteins,including cyclin B1 and Cdk1,and the apoptosis-regulated proteins Bcl-2,Bax,cytochrome c,procas-pase-9,and procaspase-3.The MTT assay demonstrated that PSⅠ could induce significant dose-and time-dependent inhibition of SGC7901 cell proliferation.Marked morphological changes,including condensation of chromatin,nuclear fragmentation and apoptotic bodies were clearly shown on Hoechst 33258 staining.PSⅠ treatment also resulted in the disruption of the cell cycle at G2/M and the induction of apoptosis.Following PSⅠ treatment,the cell cycle-related proteins cyclin B1 and Cdk1 were down-regulated.Expression of the pro-apoptotic protein Bax was increased,while anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 decreased.PSⅠ treatment resulted in elevated cytoplasmic cytochrome c and activation of the apoptotic proteases caspase-9 and caspase-3.These data indicate that PSⅠ acts as an inhibitor of proliferation in SGC7901 cells by inducing cell cycle arrest and mitochondria-dependent apoptosis.PSⅠ is a potential therapeutic agent against human gastric carcinoma.     

Curcumin down-regulates PCNA, cyclin D1 and Bcl-XL expression in human keratinocyte cell lines

Objective：To evaluate the effects of curcumin on regulating the proliferation,cell cycle distribution,apoptosis and relevant mechanisms in keratinocyte cell lines.Methods：The human immortalized human keratinocyte lines（HaCaT cells） were treated with different doses of curcumin.The effects of curcumin on cell viability were measured by MTT assay,and the cell cycle distribution and apoptosis determined by flow cytometry.The mRNA expression changes of proliferating cell nuclear antigen（PCNA）,cyclin D1 and Bcl-xL were from real-time PCR analysis and the protein levels were detected by Western blotting.Results：Data obtained in the study showed that curcumin could cause significantly inhibitory effect on proliferation in HaCaT cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner.Cell arrest at G1/S phase and significant apoptosis were observed after being treated with curcumin for 24 h.In association with these,the expression of PCNA,cyclin D1 and Bcl-xL were decreased both at mRNA and protein levels for the same treatment.Conclusion：Curcumin can inhibit proliferation,induce cell arrest at G1/S phase and cause apoptosis in HaCaT cells.The decreased expression of PCNA,cyclin D1 and Bcl-xL induced by curcumin contributes to the above effects in vitro.     

Replication-incompetent Adenovirus Vector-mediated MDA-7/IL-24 Selectively Induces Growth Suppression and Apoptosis of Hepatoma Cell Line SMMC-7721

In order to investigate the effect of replication-incompetent adenovirus vector expressing MDA-7/IL-24 on tumor growth and apoptosis of human hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC） cell line SMMC-7721 and normal liver cell line L02, the recombinant replication-incompetent Ad.mda-7 virus vector was constructed and infected into the HCC cell line SMMC-7721 and normal liver cell line L02. RT-PCR was performed to examine the expression of MDA-7 mRNA. The concentrations of MDA-7/IL-4 in culture superuatants were determined by using ELISA. MTT and Hoechst staining assay were applied to observe the inhibitory and killing effects of MDA-7 on the HCC cells. By using flow cytometry, the apoptosis, cell cycle and proliferation of SMMC-7721 and L02 cells were measured. The results showed recombinant replication-incompetent virus expressing MDA-7/IL-24 was constructed successfully, and RT-PCR revealed that it could mediate the high expression of the exogenous gene MDA-7/IL-24 in SMMC-7721 and L02 cells. The expression of MDA-7/IL-24 proteins in the culture superuatant was detectable by ELISA. Ad.mda-7 infection induced apoptosis and growth suppression in SMMC-7721 cells and an increased percentage of HCC cells in the GyM phase of the cell cycle, but not in L02 cells. It was concluded that mda-7/IL-24 gene, mediated with replication-incompetent adenovirus vector, could selectively induce growth suppression and apoptosis in HCC cell line SMMC-7721 but without any toxic side-effect on normal liver line L02.     

Effects of High Concentration Glucose on the Expression of NF-κB, Bax and Cytochrome C and Apoptosis of Islet Cells in Mice

The roles of NF-kappaB （NF-κB） expression, Bax activity and cytochrome C （Cyt C） release, apoptosis of islet cells induced by high concentration glucose were explored in vitro. Pancreatic islet cells, which were isolated from Kunming mice, were cultured with different concentrations of glucose in DMEM, and divided into the following groups： G1, G2, G3, G4, G5, and G6 groups, corresponding to the glucose concentrations of 5.6, 7.8, 11.1, 16.7, 22.5, and 27.6 mmol/L, respectively. After culture for 120 h, insulin secretion was evaluated by radioimmunoassay, and the NF-rd3 expression was detected by immunocytochemistry. Bax activity and Cyt C release were measured by immunofluorescence, and apoptosis was examined by Hoechst33342 assay. The results showed that in GI, G2 and G3 groups, insulin secretion was enhanced with the increase of glucose concentration, and the NF-κB expression was also increased （P〈0.05）, but Bax activity, Cyt C release and apoptosis rate showed no significant difference among them. However, in G4, G5, and G6 groups, apoptosis rate of islet cells, NF-rd3 expression, Bax activity, and Cyt C release were all significantly increased, and insulin secretion was impaired as compared with G1, G2, and G3 groups （P〈0.05）. It was concluded that the exposure of islet cells to high glucose could induce islet cells apoptosis as well as impaired insulin secretion. The NF-κB signaling pathway and mitochondria pathway in islet cells might play some roles in the progressive loss of islet cells in diabetes. The inhibition of the NF-κB expression could be an effective strategy for protecting pancreatic islet cells.     

Inhibitory Effects of Parthenolide on the Activity of NF-κB in Multiple Myeloma via Targeting TRAF6

This study examined the mechanism of the inhibitory effect of parthenolide(PTL) on the activity of NF-κB in multiple myeloma(MM). Human multiple myeloma cell line RPMI 8226 cells were treated with or without different concentrations of PTL for various time periods, and then MTT assay was used to detect cell proliferation. Cell cycle and apoptosis were flow cytometrically detected. The level of protein ubiquitination was determined by using immunoprecipitation. Western blotting was employed to measure the level of total protein ubiquitination, the expression of IκB-α in cell plasma and the content of p65 in nucleus. The content of p65 in nucleus before and after PTL treatment was also examined with immunofluorescence. Exposure of RPMI 8226 cells to PTL attenuated the level of ubiquitinated Nemo, increased the expression of IκB-α and reduced the level of p65 in nucleus, finally leading to the decrease of the activity of NF-κB. PTL inhibited cell proliferation, induced apoptosis and blocked cell cycle. Furthermore, the levels of ubiquitinated tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 6(TRAF6) and total proteins were decreased after PTL treatment. By using Autodock software package, we predicted that PTL could bind to TRAF6 directly and tightly. Taken together, our findings suggest that PTL inhibits the activation of NF-κB signaling pathway via directly binding with TRAF6, thereby suppressing MM cell proliferation and inducing apoptosis.     

Effects of Serum Containing Chinese Medicine Sanpi Pingwei (散癖平胃) Formula on Proliferation and Apoptosis of Human SGC-7901 Cells

Objective:To investigate the effects of serum containing Chinese medicine(CM) Sanpi Pingwei(散癖平胃,SPPW) formula on the proliferation and apoptosis of human SGC-7901 cells and the possible mechanism.Methods:Serum containing CM SPPW formula(SPPW serum) was prepared by a serum pharmacology method.Human SGC-7901 cells were incubated with SPPW serum at three different concentrations and with the anticancer drug 5-fluorouracil(5-FU),respectively.Cell proliferation was assessed by MTT assay,and cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry assay.Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR) and Western blot assay were employed to confirm the expressions of Bcl-2,Bax and p53 in SGC-7901 cells at mRNA and protein levels,respectively.Results:SPPW serum suppressed the proliferation of SGC-7901 cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner.The colony forming rate of negative control was 48.2%,while those in the three SPPW serum groups and the 5-FU group decreased significantly (P<0.01).The number of colony forming units in the SPPW high dosage group was significantly smaller than that in the 5-FU group(P<0.01).MTT assay showed that SPPW serum restrained the proliferation of SGC-7901 cells,and the inhibition rate increased significantly in a dose-dependent manner.Annexin V/PI Assay suggested that SPPW serum induced the apoptosis of SGC-7901 cells significantly.RT-PCR and western blot assay indicated that SPPW serum upregulated the protein and mRNA expression levels of Bax and p53 in SGC-7901 cells,but downregulated the protein and mRNA expressions of Bcl-2.Conclusions:SPPW formula inhibits the proliferation of SGC-7901 cells in vitro and induces the cell apoptosis.It plays an anticancer role by regulating the expressions of Bax,p53 and Bcl-2 in SGC-7901 cells.     

Triptolide-induced apoptosis by inactivating nuclear factor-kappa B apoptotic pathway in multiple myeloma <Emphasis Type="Italic">in vitro</Emphasis>

The effect of triptolide on proliferation and apoptosis of human multiple myeloma RPMI-8226 cells in vitro,as well as the roles of nuclear factor-kappa B(NF-κB) and IκBα was investigated.The effect of tritptolide on the growth of RPMI-8226 cells was studied by MTT assay.Apoptosis was detected by Hoechest 33258 staining and Annexin V/PI double staining assay.The expression of NF-κB and IκBα was observed by Western blot and confocal microscopy.The results showed that triptolide inactivated NF-κB apoptotic pathway in human multiple myeloma RPMI-8226 cells.Triptolide at nM range induced proliferation inhibition in a dose-and time-dependent manner and apoptosis in a dose-dependent fashion in RPMI-8226 cells.Besides,we observed the inhibition of NF-κB /p65 in the nuclear fraction was correlated with the increase in the protein expression of IκBα in the cytosol.These results suggested that triptolide might exhibit its strong anti-tumor effects via inactivation of NF-κB/p65 and IκBα.     

Inhibitory effect of mycophenolate mofetil on human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line HepG-2

To investigate the inhibitory effect of mycophenolate mofetil on human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line HepG-2. Methods： HepG-2 cells were cultured in the presence of the different concentrations of mycophenolate mofetil in vitro. MTT assay was used to analyze the inhibition of cell viability conferred by mycophenolate mofetil. Cell apoptosis was observed using Hoechst33258 staining, and the percentage of HepG-2 cells at different cell cycles was determined through flow cytometry. The ability of cell adhesion was evaluated by in vitro adhesion assay. Gene expressions of factors （ICAM-1 and VCAM-1） were detected by RT-PCR. Results： Mycophenolate mofetil significantly inhibited the growth of HepG-2 cells by inducing the apoptosis of cells and this drug also inhibited the adhesion of HepG-2 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Marked morphological changes characterized in cell apoptosis were demonstrated through Hoechst33258 staining. In addition, mycophenolate mofetil decreased the proportion of S phase cells and increased that of G0/G1 phase cells. [^3H]-Thymidine uptake assay indicated that the application of mycophenolate mofetil at different concentrations significantly inhibited the cell proliferation. RT-PCR identified the expression levels of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 genes in liver cancer cells after cultured for 72 h with different concentrations of drug. An inverse relationship was found between the expressions of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 and drug concentrations. Conclusion： Mycophenolate mofetil has remarkable inhibitory effect on hepatocarcinoma HepG-2 cells.     

Inhibition of cell proliferation by siRNA targeting hPRLR in breast cancer MCF-7 cell line

Objective： To study the inhibition of proliferation of breast cancer by small interfering RNA（siRNA） targeting human prolactin （hPRLR） and the underlying mechanisms. Methods：The siRNA targeting hPRLR was chemically synthesized and transfected into MCF-7 cells, the expression of hPRLR was analyzed by real-time quantitive PCR, cell growth inhibition was measured with MTT assay, cell cycle of the transfected cells was examined by flow cytometry, meanwhile, expression of cyclin D1 was tested by semi-quantitative RT-PCR, Results：24 h after transfection with 100 nmol/L siRNA-PRLR, the expression of hPRLR mRNA was suppressed by 65%, cells in G1 phase increased, but cells in S phase decreased. Down regulated hPRLR expression exhibited significant inhibition in cell proliferation. And the expression of cyclin D 1 was down regulated. Conclusion：The results indicate that siRNA-hPRLR is a useful tool for silencing hPRLR expression and inhibiting cell proliferation in breast cancer MCF-7 cell line, and it may be a possible new approach for breast cancer gene therapy.     

EFFECTS OF RETINOIC ACID ON PROLIFERATION AND DIFFERENTIATION OF A HUMAN OVARIAN CARCINOMA CELL LINE： 3AO

Objective To observe the effects ofretinoic acid (RA) on the proliferation and differentiation of a human ovarian carcinoma cell line: 3AO cells. Methods 3AO cell proliferation was evaluated by viable cell count, percentage of cells in each cycle phase were analyzed by flow cytometric analysis, alkaline phosphatase (AKP) activity was determined as described, and CA125 expression was measured by ELISA. Results RA could inhibit the proliferation of 3AO cells accompanied with morphological changes in a dose-dependent manner. Cell cycle analysis indicated that RA inhibition of 3AO cells growth occurred through induction of G1 arrest with a concomitant reduction in the proportion of cells in S phase, AKP activity increased significantly after treatment with RA(0.1 μmol/L) for 1-5 days. Dose-response studies revealed that the AKP activity increased to a different extent as a function of RA concentrations. Furthermore, RA could suppress the expression of CA125 tumor marker in 3AO cells. Conclusion RA could markedly inhibit the proliferation and induce the differentiation of 3AO cells.