Effects of zilongjin on proliferation and apoptosis of human breast cancer cell line MCF-7 / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effect of Zilongjin (ZLJ, a composite Chinese drug) on proliferation and apoptosis of human breast carcinoma cell line MCF-7.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>MCF-7 cells were randomly divided into four groups depending on the culture solution used, the control group, cultured with 1640 medium not contained ZLJ; and the three ZJL groups cultured with medium contained low (1.5 mg/mL), moderate (3 mg/mL) and high (6 mg/mL) dosage of ZLJ crude drug respectively. The changes of cell proliferation were assessed by cell growth curve assay and methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay. And the cell apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry, Hoechst 33342 staining and DNA ladder assay.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with that in the normal control, the counts of cells in the three ZLJ groups were decreased significantly (P<0.05) at such time point as 24, 48, 72, 96, 120, and 144 h. Furthermore, apart from the comparison of the growth inhibition rate between the low and moderate dosage group at 24 and 72 h which were found to be no significant difference (P>0.05), the comparison f that among the three ZLJ groups appeared to be significant difference (P<0.05). The inhibitory effect of ZLJ on cell proliferation of MCF-7 was time- and dose-dependent; it could retard cells in G0/G1 cell phase; apoptosis of MCF-7 cell was induced by moderate and high dosage of ZLJ with revealing of apoptotic body and DNA ladder formation.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>ZLJ shows cell proliferation inhibitory and apoptosis inducing effects on human breast cancer cell line MCF-7, and thus to realize its anti-tumor action.</p>

Experimental study on suppressive effect of zilongjin on growth of human breast cancer cell line MCF-7 in vitro and in vivo / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the suppressive effect and mechanism of action of Zilongjin (ZLJ, a composite Chinese drug) on the growth of human breast carcinoma cell line MCF-7 in vivo and in vivo.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The cell survival rate and clone forming efficiency were observed by direct cell counting with trypan blue staining and double layers soft agar test; the p-ERK 1/2 expression was analyzed using Western blotting; 17-beta-estrogen pellet embedding was adopted to make the subcutaneous transplanted tumor MCF-7 cell in BALB/c nude mice for detecting the tumor growth suppressive effect of ZLJ (20 g crude drug/kg).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The survival rate of MCF-7 cell was obviously decreased by ZLJ in a time and dose-dependent manner; only few and small clones on soft agar could be found after treated with ZLJ, the inhibition rates of clone formation(%) for 0.75, 1.5, 3, 6 mg/mL of ZLJ were 12.66 +/- 1.54, 88.83 +/- 2.13, 100 and 100, respectively, as compared with that of non-treated. The expression of p-ERK 1/2 was suppressed and the ability of the tumorigenicity in nude mice was reduced effectively by ZLJ. The mean volumes and weights of tumor in the test group and the control group were (0.73 +/- 0.58) cm3 vs (1.36 +/- 0.64) cm3 and (1.02 +/- 0.25) g vs (1.66 +/- 0.09) g respectively, showing significant difference (P<0.05), and the tumor inhibition rate of ZLJ was 38.55%.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>ZLJ shows obviously suppressive actions on malignant proliferation, transformation and tumorigenicity of human breast carcinoma cell line MCF-7; the down-regulation of p-ERK 1/2 protein may involve in these effects.</p>

Differential transcription of Bcl-2 and Bax through the cell cycle in prostate cancer cell line / 中华外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the differential expression of apoptosis associated gene Bcl-2 and Bax through cell cycle and its possible clinical meaning.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The prostate cancer cell line PC-3 was synchronized in M, G1, S and G2 phase using modified thymine deoxyriboside blockage and high pressure N2O technique. The efficiency of synchronization was detected by flow-cytometry. RT-PCR and Western blot methods were used to examine the expression of Bcl-2 and Bax in mRNA and protein level.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The synchronized rate of M, G1, S and G2 phase were 92.1%, 87.0%, 80.2% and 75.9% respectively. Bcl-2 was constitutively expressed through the cell cycle, but both the mRNA and protein expression level of Bcl-2 were very high in the G1 phase, dramatically decreased in M, S and G2 phase. The expression level of Bax had no change through the cell cycle.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Cell cycle could influence the expression level of Bcl-2 significantly but not Bax, these might have some clinical relevance.</p>

In vitro effect of zilongjin on prostate cancer cell line LNCaP / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effect of Zilongjin (ZLJ) on human androgen-dependent type of prostate cancer cell line LNCaP.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>MTT assay, flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy were used to observe the effect of ZLJ in anti-proliferation, cell cycle arresting and apoptosis induction. RT-PCR was used to examine the effect of ZLJ on expressions of prostate marker gene (PSA), androgen receptor (AR), apoptosis related genes (bcl-2 and bax), and Western blot assay was used to detect the effect on protein expression of bcl-2 and bax.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>ZLJ could cause apparent inhibition on proliferation, induce G0/G1 phase arresting and apoptosis in time- and dose-dependent manner on LNCaP cells. The concentration for inhibiting cell growth by 50% (IC50) in 72 hrs was 0.79 mg/ml. ZLJ could down-regulate the expression of PSA, AR, bcl-2 genes and lower bcl-2 protein expression, but showed ineffective on bax protein expression.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>ZLJ displays its anti-tumor effects by way of inhibiting the cell proliferation, arresting the G0/G1 phase, inducing apoptosis, down-regulating PSA, AR, bcl-2 gene expression and lowering bcl-2 protein expressions.</p>