title: General gambogic acids inhibited growth of human hepatoma SMMC-7721 cells in vitro and in nude mice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the inhibitory effect of general gambogic acids (GGA) on transplantation tumor SMMC-7721 in experimental animal model and SMMC-7721 cells in vitro.
  
  
  METHODS
  Anti-tumor activity of GGA in the experimental transplantation tumor SMMC-7721 was evaluated by relative tumor growth ratio. Cell morphology was observed with inverted microscope and electron microscope. Cell proliferation was measured by MTT assay and the telomerase activity was determined by PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In vivo study indicated that GGA (2, 4, and 8 mg/kg, iv, 3 times per week for 3 weeks) displayed an inhibitory effect on the growth of transplantation tumor SMMC-7721 in nude mice compared with the normal saline group (P<0.01). At the concentrations of 0.625-5.0 mg/L, GGA remarkably inhibited the proliferation of SMMC-7721 cells in vitro. GGA 2 mg/L dramatically changed morphology of SMMC-7721 cells and inhibited the telomerase activity in SMMC-7721 cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  GGA had inhibitory effect on the growth of SMMC-7721, which might be related to its inhibition of telomerase activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, 3Department of Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China. qinglongguo@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Qing-Long
authors.initials: QL
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Qi-Dong
authors.initials: QD
authors.lastname: You
authors.forename: Zhao-Qiu
authors.initials: ZQ
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Shen-Tao
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D005260:Female; D029760:Garcinia / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry; D019098:Telomerase / Q000378:metabolism*; D044004:Xanthones / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D044004:Xanthones; C052659:gambogic acid; D019098:Telomerase