ABSTRACT
Objective: To explore the growth inhibition and apoptosis-inducing effects of apigenin in human gastric cancer SGC-7901 cells. Method: MTT and flowcytometry were used to detect the growth inhibition and cell cycle distribution in apigenin-treated SGC-7901 cells respectively. DAPI fluorescence staining and DNA ladder assay were applied to study the pro-apoptosis effects of apigenin. The expression of apoptosis relative proteins, caspase-3 and Bcl-2, were analyzed by using Western blotting. Results: Apigenin treatment significantly inhibited the growth of human gastric cancer cell SGC-7901 and markedly caused their apoptosis following activation of caspase-3 and downregulation of Bcl-2 protein expression. Conclusion: The activation of caspase-3 and downregulation of apoptosis relative protein Bcl-2 expression were the possible mechanism of apigenin induced growth inhibition and apoptosis in SGC-7901 cells.