[Effects of matrine on proliferation and telomerase activity of colon cancer SW1116 cells].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of matrine on proliferation and telomerase activity of colon cancer SW1116 cells. METHODS: The proliferation inhibitory rate was evaluated by MTT assay. The telomerase activity was analyzed by TRAP-ELISA, and the expression of hTERT mRNA was determined by semi-quantitative RT-PCR. RESULTS: Matrine displayed strong proliferation inhibitory effect in a dose-and-time-dependent manner against SW1116 cells. Compared with control group, the telomerase activity and the expression of hTERT mRNA decreased significantly (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01) in matrine group. CONCLUSION: Matrine can inhibit the telomerase activity by depressing the expression of hTERT in SW1116 cells and inhibiting cell proliferation.