RESUMEN
Objective: To investigate the effects of pirarubicin on proliferation of bladder cancer cells and the related mechanism. Methods: After bladder cancer cell lines T24 and BIU-87 were treated with 0.4, 0.8, 1.6, and 3.2 mg/L pirarubicin for 24, 48, and 72 h, the cell proliferation was detected by MTT. Flow cytometry was used to examine the apoptosis of T24 and BIU-87 cells. qRT-PCR and RT-PCR were used to examine the mRNA expression of phospholipase C ε (PLCε),Bcl-2 in T24 and BIU-87 cell lines; the protein expression of PLCε in pirarubicin-treated cells was determined by Western blotting analysis. Bladder cancer cells were designed as blank group, pirarubicin treatment group, Ad-shPLCε treatment group, and Ad-shPLCε plus pirarubicin treatment group; cell proliferation was observed and protein expression of Bcl-2 was examined and compared between different groups. Results: Pirarubicin showed a dose-and time-dependent inhibitory effect against proliferation of T24 and BIU-87 cell lines. Moreover, pirarubicin promoted cell apoptosis in T24 and BIU-87 cells and suppressed the expression of PLCε and Bcl-2. Pirarubicin treatment group, Ad-shPLCε treatment group, and Ad-shPLCε plus pirarubicin treatment group all had suppressed cell proliferation and Bcl-2 expression, and pirarubicin plus Ad-shPLCε group exhibited significantly stronger inhibitory effects compared with pirarubicin treatment group (P<0.05). Conclusion: Pirarubicin can effectively inhibit cell proliferation of bladder cancer cells, which may be through suppressing the expression of PLCε and Bcl-2.