ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the possible signal pathway of the apoptosis in gastric cancer cell lines(SGC 7901 and MKN 45)induced by arsenic trioxide. Methods TUNEL method was used to observe the influence of calcium antagonist, inhibitors of protein kinase C (PKC) and protein tyrosine kinase(PTK) on the apoptosis of gastric cancer cells induced by arsenic trioxide. Levels of cAMP, PKC and PTK were detected before and after the treatment with arsenic trioxide. Results Both PKC and PTK inhibitors could induce apoptosis of gastric cancer cell lines, also both of them had a cooperative action with arsenic trioxide in inducing apoptosis of gastric cancer cells, while calcium antagonist had no any effect on the apoptosis of gastric cancer cell lines. PKC and PTK levels decreased but cAMP level increased during the apoptosis of gastric cancer cells induced by arsenic trioxide ( P