title: Gamma-tocotrienol-induced apoptosis in human gastric cancer SGC-7901 cells is associated with a suppression in mitogen-activated protein kinase signalling.
abstract: Tocotrienols have been shown to inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis in cancer cells. However, the molecular mechanisms involved in tocotrienol-induced apoptosis are still unclear. In the present study, gamma-tocotrienol induced apoptosis in human gastric adenocarcinoma SGC-7901 cell line through down regulation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signalling pathway. Furthermore, gamma-tocotrienol-induced apoptosis was accompanied by down regulation of Bcl-2, up regulation of Bax, activation of caspase-3, and subsequent poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage. These results indicated that up or down regulation of Bcl-2 family proteins play a major role in the initiation of gamma-tocotrienol-induced apoptosis as an activator of caspase-3. Gamma-tocotrienol also down regulated the activation of the Raf-ERK signalling pathway, and down regulated c-Myc by decreasing the expressions of Raf-1 and p-ERK1/2 proteins. The results suggest that key regulators in tocotrienol-induced apoptosis may be Bcl-2 families and caspase-3 in SGC-7901 cells through down regulation of the Raf-ERK signalling pathway.
authors: Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, Public Health College, Harbin Medical University, 157 Baojian Road, Nangang District, Harbin 150086, People's Republic of China.
authors: Wenguang
authors: W
authors: Sun
authors: Qi
authors: Q
authors: Wang
authors: Bingqing
authors: B
authors: Chen
authors: Jiaren
authors: J
authors: Liu
authors: Huikun
authors: H
authors: Liu
authors: Weili
authors: W
authors: Xu
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D015153:Blotting, Western / Q000379:methods; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002839:Chromans / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D053938:DNA Fragmentation / Q000187:drug effects; D015536:Down-Regulation; D006801:Humans; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System / Q000187:drug effects*; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D011065:Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases / Q000378:metabolism; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / Q000378:metabolism; D019908:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-raf / Q000378:metabolism; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; C494826:BAX protein, human; D002839:Chromans; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D014810:Vitamin E; C013649:plastochromanol 8; D011065:Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases; D019908:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-raf; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D053148:Caspase 3