[Artesunate induces prostate cancer cell line PC-3 differentiation and cell cycle arrest].
OBJECTIVE
To explore the effect of artesunate (ART) on cell differentiation and cell cycle distribution of the prostate cancer cell line PC-3 in vitro.


METHODS
PC-3 cells were cultivated with ART from logarithmic growth phase. After 48-hour treatment, the cell cycles were detected by flow cytometry (FCM), and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the level of prostate specific antigen (PSA) in cell culture supernatant. The change of cellular morphology was observed under a transmission electron microscope (TEM).


RESULTS
In comparison with the blank control group, the rate of G(0)/G(1) plus S stages of PC-3 cells was significantly decreased in the high-dose ART group. The PC-3 cell was arrested in G(2)/M by ART. The rates of G(2)/M of the high-dose ART group and the medium-dose ART group were obviously higher than those of the blank control group and the cisplatin group (P<0.05). The levels of PSA in the three ART groups were significantly lower than that of the normal control group (P<0.05, P<0.01). In the ART groups, TEM showed that some vacuoles appeared in endochylema, cell polarity was enhanced, cell nucleus leaned to one side of the cell, and microvilli increased on the other side of the cell.


CONCLUSIONS
ART can induce PC-3 cell cycle arrest and differentiation in vitro.
Laboratory of Pharmacology of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Medical College of China Three Gorges University, Yichang, Hubei Province 443002, China.
Xiao-fei
XF
Huang
Ding
D
Yuan
Chang-cheng
CC
Zhang
Xiao-peng
XP
Zhang
D037621:Artemisinins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000077332:Artesunate; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure
D037621:Artemisinins; D000077332:Artesunate; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen