ABSTRACT
γ-Tocotrienol (γ-T3) is a major subtype of vitamin E, mainly extracted from palm trees, barley, walnuts, and other plants. γ-T3 has effects on anti-inflammation, anti-oxidation, and potential chemoprevention against malignancies. It is still uncompleted to understand the effect of γ-T3 on the inhibitory mechanism of cancer. This study aimed to investigate whether γ-T3 enhanced autophagy in gastric cancer and the underlying molecular mechanism. The results showed that γ-T3 (0-90 µmol/L) inhibited the proliferation of gastric cancer MKN45 cells and AGS cells, and arrested the cell cycle at the G0/G1 phase in a dose-dependent manner. Autophagy was increased in MKN45 cells treated with γ-T3 (0-45 µmol/L), especially at a dose of 30 µmol/L for 24 h. These effects were reversed by 3-methyladenine pretreatment. Furthermore, γ-T3 (30 µmol/L) also significantly downregulated the expression of pGSK-3ß (ser9) and ß-catenin protein in MKN45 cells, and γ-T3 (20 mg/kg b.w.) effectively decreased the growth of MKN45 cell xenografts in BABL/c mice. GSK-3ß inhibitor-CHIR-99021 reversed the negative regulation of GSK-3ß/ß-Catenin signaling and autophagy. Our findings indicated that γ-T3 enhances autophagy in gastric cancer cells mediated by GSK-3ß/ß-Catenin signaling, which provides new insights into the role of γ-T3 enhancing autophagy in gastric cancer.
ABSTRACT
AIM:To study the effect of a varying concentrations of arsenic trioxide on human hepatoma cell line BEL-7402 cultured in vitro and its mechanism of action.METHODS:The BEL-7402 cells were treated with arsenic trioxide (at the concentrations of 0.5 1 2&mgr;mol/L, respectively) for 4 successive days. The cell growth and proliferation were observed by cell counting and cell-growth curve. Morphologic changes were studied with electronmicroscopy. Flow cytometry was used to assay cell-DNA distribution and the protein expression of Bcl-2 and Bax detected by immunocytochemical method.RESULTS:The cell growth was significantly inhibited by varying concentrations of arsenic trioxide as revealed by cell counting and cell-growth curve, which was dose- and time-dependent. Arsenic trioxide treatment at 0.5, 1 and 2&mgr;mol/L resulted in a sub-G1 cell peak, the apoptosis rate of the control group was 9.31% and that of 0.5&mgr;mol/L arsenic trioxide 15.53%, no significant difference was seen between the two.The apoptosis rates of 1,2&mgr;mol/L arsenic trioxide were 19.10% and 21.87% respectively, which were much higher (both P < 0.05). Decrease of G(0)/G(1) phase cells and increase of S phase cells were observed by flow cytometry, suggesting the inhibition effect of 0.5, 1, 2&mgr;mol/L arsenic trioxide on BEL-7402 cell lay in the G(0)/G(1) phase. Morphologic changes such as intact cell membrane, nucleic condensation, apoptotic body formation were seen under transmission electronmicrescopy, whereas the 0.5mol/L arsenic trioxide-treated BEL-7402 cells showed decrease of nucleocytoplasmic ratio, round nucleus, well-differentiated organelles in the cytoplasm. The processes and microvilli on the cell surface of the experimental groups under scanning electron microscopy were significantly decreased. High expressions of Bcl-2 and Bax were detected in 1 and 2&mgr;mol/L arsenic trioxide-treated cells, these were 46%, 87.33% and 83.08%, 95.83% respectively, among which that of Bax was more significant. Arsenic trioxide treatment at 0.5&mgr;mol/L resulted in a higher expression level of Bcl-2 and lower expression level of Bax,which were 8.81% and 3.83% respectively, as compared with that of the control group (15.33%) (P(1)<0.01, P(2)<0.01).CONCLUSION:Arsenic trioxide not only inhibited proliferation but also induced apoptosis of human hepatoma cell line BEL-7402. The induced-apoptosis effect of 1,2&mgr;mol/L arsenic trioxide was related to the expression level of Bcl-2 and Bax.
