Induction of apoptosis of ovarian carcinoma cell strains with As_2O_3 via G_1 phase cell cycle arrest / 西安交通大学学报(医学版)

ABSTRACT

Objective To study the apoptosis of ovarian carcinoma cell strain COC1 induced by arsenic trioxide (As_2O_3). Methods The effect of arsenic trioxide on the proliferation of ovarian carcinoma cell strains were examined, using Methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium(MTT) assay. Flow cytometry(FCM) was used to detect apoptosis percentage and phase distribution of cell cycles. After being exposed to As_2O_3 solution of different concentration, apoptosis morphologic features of COC1 were observed by TdT-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL). Results Inhibition of As_2O_3 on the growth of COC1 was increasing with passing of time and increasing of concentration. After 48h of exposure to 1.5 ?mol/L As_2O_3, COC1 cell strains presented apoptosis morphologic change, and the number of apoptosis cells increased with the passage of time. After treatment with 3.0 ?mol/L or 1.5 ?mol/L As_2O_3, the percentage of COC1 cells in G_2/M phase declined, and the percentage of cells in G_1 phase increased with the passage of time. These results suggested that As_2O_3 inhibited the cellular proliferation of COC1 cells via arrest of cell cycle. Conclusion Arsenic trioxide can induce apoptosis of ovarian carcinoma cell strain COC1. It can block the cell cycle at the G_1 phase, which is one of the possible mechanisms of apoptosis induced by As_2O_3.