Antineoplastic mechanism of Octreotide actionin human hepatoma

OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether apoptosis can be induced by Octreotide in human hepatoma cells in vitro and elucidate the antineoplastic mechanism of Octreotide in hepatoma. METHODS: A cultured human hepatoma cell line, BEL-7402, was exposed to Octreotide and apoptosis was evaluated by cytochemical staining (Hochesst 33,258), transmission electron microscopy, agarose gel electrophoresis and flow cytometry (FCM). RESULTS: After exposure to 0.2 microgram/ml Octreotide, apoptosis with nuclear chromatin condensation as well as fragmentation, cell shrinkage and the formation of apoptotic bodies was observed using cytochemical staining and transmission electron microscopy. A DNA ladder in agarose gel electrophoresis was also displayed. FCM showed that the apoptotic cell number rose with an increase in the concentration of Octreotide (0-2 micrograms/ml). There was a positive correlation between Octreotide concentration and apoptotic rate in BEL-7402 cells (r = 0.809, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Apoptosis in human hepatoma cells can be induced by Octreotide, which may be related to the mechanism of antineoplastic action of Octreotide in hepatoma.