[Diallyl trisulfide induces apoptosis of human gastric cancer cell line MGC803 through caspase-3 pathway].
OBJECTIVE
Garlic and the organosulfer compound from garlic have antitumor effects, but the mechanisms still remain unclear. This study was to investigate the changes and significance of caspase-3 activity in diallyl trisulfide (DATS)-induced apoptosis of human gastric cancer cell line MGC803.


METHODS
Effects of DATS on the apoptosis of MGC803 cells and the change of activated caspase-3 were observed under a fluorescent and an electron microscopy, and detected by flow cytometry and Western blot.


RESULTS
After incubation with DATS, MGC803 cells showed typical apoptotic morphologic changes, and the apoptosis rate increased significantly. DATS activated caspase-3 in a time-dependent manner: the positive rates of activated caspase-3 were 1.9%, 3.0%, 7.3%, 14.4%, and 27.6% respectively in MGC-803 cells treated with 12 mg/L DATS for 0, 4, 8, 12 and 24 h. When treated with 12 mg/L DATS for 24 h, the apoptosis rate was significantly lower in the cells with pretreatment of Ac-DEVD-CHO (a caspase-3 inhibitor) than in the cells without pretreatment (5.1% vs. 23.0%, P<0.01), indicating that Ac-DEVD-CHO efficiently attenuated DATS-induced apoptosis of MGC803 cells. Moreover, pro-caspase-3 was hydrolyzed and activated in DATS-treated MGC803 cells.


CONCLUSIONS
DATS induces apoptosis in MGC803 cells which may be through the activation of caspase-3 pathway.
Xiao
Xiao-Lan
XL
Cancer Research Institute, Nanhua University, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, P. R. China.
Peng
Jun
J
Su
Qi
Q
Xiang
Shu-Lin
SL
Tang
Guo-Hua
GH
Huang
You-Sheng
YS
Zhou
Xiu-Tian
XT
D002288:Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D000498:Allyl Compounds / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000502:physiology*; D061945:Caspase Inhibitors; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D005737:Garlic / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000494:pharmacology; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D013440:Sulfides / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*
D000498:Allyl Compounds; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D061945:Caspase Inhibitors; D009842:Oligopeptides; D013440:Sulfides; C099158:acetyl-aspartyl-glutamyl-valyl-aspartal; C042577:diallyl trisulfide; D053148:Caspase 3