title: [Melittin inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis of malignant human glioma cells].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the anti-tumor effects of melittin against malignant human glioma cells in vitro.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two malignant human glioma cell lines (U87 and U251) were treated with melittin at various concentrations, and the cell growth inhibition and apoptosis were evaluated using MTT assay, flow cytometry and agarose gel electrophoresis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Melittin could obviously inhibit the proliferation of the two glioma cell lines (P<0.05). At the concentrations of 1, 10, 20, 40, 80, 160, 200 mg/L, melittin resulted in U87 cell apoptosis rates of 12.80%, 16.92%, 22.69%, 34.05%, 41.82%, 59.87%, and 80.25%, and in U251 cell apoptosis rate of 11.61%, 16.21%, 22.03%, 30.57%, 41.10%, 58.33%, and 79.12%, respectively, showing a dose-dependent effect in its action of inducing cell apoptosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Melittin inhibits the proliferation and induces apoptosis of malignant human glioma cell lines in vitro.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510282, China. yangzhilin@tom.com
authors.forename: Zhi-lin
authors.initials: ZL
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Yi-quan
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Ke
authors.forename: Ru-xiang
authors.initials: RX
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Peng
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects*; D005910:Glioma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008555:Melitten / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D008555:Melitten