Effects of ascorbic acid on human hepatoma cell proliferation and redifferentiation.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the effects of ascorbic acid (AA) on hepatoma.


METHODS
Choosing an all-trans tretinoin (Tre) as a positive control, cell growth, and cell redifferentiation tests by cell surface charges, biochemical changes, and cell growth in soft agar were measured.


RESULTS
After being treated with AA 6 mmol.L-1, the growth curve and mitotic index of human hepatoma cells decreased remarkably, the cellular growth inhibitory rate amounted to 58.9%. The indices related with cell malignancy alleviated, such as cell surface charge obviously decreased, the electrophoresis rate dropped from 1.64 microns.s-1.V-1.cm-1 to 0.93, the average value of alpha-fetoprotein (alpha-FP) content decreased from 302 micrograms.g-1(protein) to 90, and gamma-glytamyl-transpeptidase (gamma-GT) activity from 0.81 U.g-1(protein) to 0.16. The index related with cell differentiation increased, such as the average level of tyrosine-alpha-ketoglutarate transminase activity increased from 10.3 micromol.g-1(protein) to 41.2, and the colonogenic potential decreased 94.4%.


CONCLUSIONS
AA can inhibit human hepatoma cells proliferation, induce redifferentiation, and reverse its malignant phenotypic characteristics.
Department of Biology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China.
J H
JH
Kang
Y M
YM
Shi
R L
RL
Zheng
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D008940:Mitotic Index; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000975:Antioxidants; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase; D001205:Ascorbic Acid