[Cerulenin inhibits growth of human colonic carcinoma in nude mice].
OBJECTIVE
To determine the effects of fatty acid synthase inhibitor, cerulenin, on tumor growth of human colonic carcinoma (LoVo) in nude mice.


METHODS
The transplantable colonic carcinoma cell line LoVo model was established in BALB/CA-nu/nu mice by subcutaneous implantation. Cerulenin was administrated by i.p. injection (80 mg/kg, 160 mg/kg each time) for 10 times. 17 days later the mice were killed and tumor size evaluated.


RESULTS
The size of tumors in cerulenin-treated group were significantly smaller than in control group and were similar to that of the 5-Fu treated group. Transmission electronic microscopy (TEM) revealed that death of LoVo cells treated by cerulenin was associated with apoptosis characterized by cell shrinkage, condensation and chromosome fragmentation. bcl-2 oncoprotein expression rate was significantly lower in cerulenin-treated group in comparing with the control group. The expression rate of bax was the opposite to that of bcl-2.


CONCLUSIONS
Cerulenin effectively suppresses the growth of human colonic carcinoma cells in vivo. The mechanism of cell death may be correlated with apoptosis, and bcl-2 and bax gene may play an important role in regulating cerulenin-induced apoptosis.
Huang
P
P
Department of Pathology, Medical College, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China.
Zhu
S
S
Lu
S
S
Li
L
L
Dai
Z
Z
Jin
Y
Y
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002569:Cerulenin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein
C494826:BAX protein, human; C494827:Bax protein, mouse; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D002569:Cerulenin