Apoptosis of hepatoma cells SMMC-7721 induced by Ginkgo biloba seed polysaccharide.
OBJECTIVE
To study the apoptosis of hepatoma cells SMMC-7721 induced by polysaccharide isolated from Ginkgo biloba seed.


METHODS
Ginkgo biloba seed polysaccharide (GBSP) was isolated by ethanol fractionation of Ginkgo biloba seed and purified by Sephadex G-200 chromatography. The purity of GBSP was verified by reaction with iodine-potassium iodide and ninhydrin and confirmed by UV spectrophotometer, cellulose acetate membrane electrophoresis and Sepharose 4B gel filtration chromatography. The Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Flow Cytometry (FCM) were used to examine the SMMC-7721 cells with and without GBSP treatment at 500 mg/ml for 36 h.


RESULTS
GBSP product obtained was of high purity with the average molecular weight of 1.86 X 10(5). Quantitative analysis of SMMC-7721 cells in vitro with FCM showed that the percentages of G(2)-M cells without and with GBSP treatment were 17.01+/-1.28 % and 11.77+/-1.50% (P<0.05), the debris ratio of the cells were 0.46+/-0.12 % and 0.06+/-0.06 % (P<0.01), and the apoptosis ratio of cells was 3.84+/-0.55 % and 9.13+/-1.48 % (P<0.01) respectively. Following GBSP treatment, microvilli of SMMC-7721 cells appeared thinner and the number of spherical cells increased markedly. Most significantly, the apoptosis bodies were formed on and around the spherical cells treated with GBSP.


CONCLUSIONS
GBSP could potentially induce the apoptosis of SMMC-7721 cells.
Chen
Qun
Q
Department of Biology, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, Shandong Province, China.
Yang
Gui-Wen
GW
An
Li-Guo
LG
D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular; D016195:G2 Phase / Q000187:drug effects; D020441:Ginkgo biloba; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms; D008938:Mitosis / Q000187:drug effects; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D012639:Seeds; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D010936:Plant Extracts; D011134:Polysaccharides