title: Effects of oxymatrine on proliferation and apoptosis in human hepatoma cells.
abstract: Oxymatrine, a natural quinolizidine alkaloid, has been known having cytotoxic and chemopreventive effects on various cancer cells. To investigate the possible mechanism of oxymatrine's role on cancer cells, in the present study, we examined further the effects of oxymatrine on the growth, proliferation, apoptosis and expression of bcl-2 and p53 gene in human hepatoma SMMC-7721 cells in vitro. Our results show that oxymatrine notably inhibits the growth and proliferation of SMMC-7721 cells and it present a dose-dependence and time-dependence manner within definite reacting dose and time. Oxymatrine block SMMC-7721 cells in G2/M and S phase; prevent cells entering into G0/G1 phase. It results in an obvious accumulation of G2/M and S phase cells while decrease of G0/G1 phase cells. Oxymatrine induce apoptosis of SMMC-7721 cells and apoptotic rate amount to about 60% after treatment with 1.0 mg/ml oxymatrine for 48 h. We also find that oxymatrine down-regulate expression of bcl-2 gene while up-regulate expression of p53 gene. These results demonstrate that oxymatrine inhibit the proliferation and induce apoptosis of human hepatoma SMMC-7721 cells, and suggest that this effect was mediated probably by a significant cell cycle blockage in G2/M and S phase, down-regulation of bcl-2 and up-regulation of p53.
authors.affiliation: College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Key Laboratory of Biomechanics and Tissue Engineering, State Ministry of Education, Chongqing 400044, PR China. song9973@tom.com
authors.forename: Guanbin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.forename: Lu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yisong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Caixin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sun
mesh_terms: D000470:Alkaloids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D016195:G2 Phase; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D011807:Quinolizines; D016196:S Phase; D013997:Time Factors; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000378:metabolism; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D000093842:Matrines
chemical_list: D000470:Alkaloids; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D011807:Quinolizines; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; C037573:oxymatrine; D000093842:Matrines