title: Anti-tumor activity of Gastrodia elata Blume is closely associated with a GTP-Ras-dependent pathway.
abstract: Gastrodia elata Blume (GEB) is an important medicinal plant in Korea. In order to confirm the anti-tumor activities of GEB extracts, we carried out various in vitro anti-tumor assays, including a wound assay and an invasion assay using an ethyl ether extract of GEB. The results showed that the GEB extract exhibits potent anti-tumor activity in vitro in a dose-dependent manner. The expression of CD44, cdc42, Timp-2 or RhoA mRNA did not change by GEB treatment, compared to that of the control. GTP-Ras, an active form of a G-coupled protein family, however, is associated with the anti-tumor activity of GEB extracts. We examined various molecular markers related to metastasis by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction with the extract of GEB-treated B16 cells. There was an increase in GTP-Ras expression by the Gastrodia elata Blume extract. Together, these results suggest that the Gastrodia elata Blume extract could have potential in alleviating tumorigenesis, by a GTP-Ras-dependent pathway; although the precise molecular mechanisms are still being examined.
authors.affiliation: Food and Bio-industry Research Institute, Graduate School, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 702-701, Korea.
authors.forename: Jin-Chul
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Heo
authors.forename: Sang-Uk
authors.initials: SU
authors.lastname: Woo
authors.forename: Minsik
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Son
authors.forename: Ja-Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Won-Sik
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Kyu-Tae
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Sung-Uk
authors.initials: SU
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Eun-Kyung
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Yong-Hoon
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Heung Mook
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Sang-Han
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D003094:Collagen; D004338:Drug Combinations; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D031668:Gastrodia / Q000737:chemistry*; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D007797:Laminin; D008518:Medicine, East Asian Traditional; D008546:Melanoma, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000473:pathology; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011509:Proteoglycans; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects*; D019716:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014471:Umbilical Veins / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects; D020764:cdc42 GTP-Binding Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018631:ras Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020742:rhoA GTP-Binding Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*