Effect of ammonia on cell-cycle progression of human gastric cancer cells.
OBJECTIVE
Ammonia is a cytotoxic factor of Helicobacter pylori that is involved in gastric mucosal injury. This study was designed to show whether ammonia has an effect on the cell-cycle progression in human gastric cells in vitro.


METHODS
We studied the effects of ammonia and ammonium chloride on cell growth and cell-cycle progression of the human gastric cancer cell line HGC-27. We cultured HGC-27 cells and counted viable cells by trypan blue dye exclusion 24 h after the addition of various concentrations of ammonia or ammonium chloride. DNA contents of nuclei were analysed by flow-cytometry.


RESULTS
Ammonia and ammonium chloride inhibited the proliferation of HGC-27 cells dose-dependently. Flow-cytometric analysis showed S-phase accumulation of HGC-27 cells treated with ammonia and ammonium chloride at cytostatic doses.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that ammonia and ammonium chloride inhibit the growth of gastric cells in S phase. This mechanism may make a significant contribution to the pathogenesis of Helicobacter pylori-associated gastric mucosal atrophy.
Matsui
T
T
Department of Preventive Medicine, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Japan.
Matsukawa
Y
Y
Sakai
T
T
Nakamura
K
K
Aoike
A
A
Kawai
K
K
D000641:Ammonia / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000643:Ammonium Chloride / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001284:Atrophy / Q000139:chemically induced; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000187:drug effects; D018450:Disease Progression; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D016196:S Phase; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D000643:Ammonium Chloride; D000641:Ammonia