title: Effects of folic acid on epithelial apoptosis and expression of Bcl-2 and p53 in premalignant gastric lesions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effects of folic acid on epithelial apoptosis and expression of Bcl-2 and p53 in the tissues of premalignant gastric lesions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-eight patients, with premalignant gastric lesions including 18 colonic-type intestinal metaplasia (IM) and 20 mild or moderate dysplasia, were randomly divided into a treatment group (n = 19) receiving folic acid 10 mg thrice daily and a control group (n = 19) receiving sucralfate 1,000 mg thrice daily for 3 mo. All patients underwent endoscopies and four biopsies were taken prior to treatment and repeated after concluding therapy. Folate concentrations in gastric mucosa were measured with chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay. Epithelial apoptosis and the expression of Bcl-2 and p53 protein in gastric mucosa were detected with flow cytometric assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean of folate concentration in gastric mucosa was 9.03+/-3.37 microg/g wet wt in the folic acid treatment group, which was significantly higher than 6.83+/-3.02 microg/g wet wt in the control group. Both the epithelial apoptosis rate and the tumor suppressor p53 expression in gastric mucosa significantly increased after folic acid treatment. In contrast, the expression of Bcl-2 oncogene protein decreased after folic acid therapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data indicate that folic acid may play an important role in the chemoprevention of gastric carcinogenesis by enhancing gastric epithelial apoptosis in the patients with premalignant lesions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongda Hospital of Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Da-Zhong
authors.initials: DZ
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Wei-Hao
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Xi-Long
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Ou
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Ting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: You-Zhen
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Zi-Ying
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Qi-Ping
authors.initials: QP
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.forename: Yun-Lin
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Cheng
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016193:G1 Phase / Q000187:drug effects; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006397:Hematinics / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D006397:Hematinics; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D005492:Folic Acid