title: [Apoptosis induction of C8 on human liver cancer cell line SMMC-7721].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effects of Bisnaphthalimide (C8) on the proliferation and apoptosis of SMMC-7721 cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  The effects of C8 on the proliferation of SMMC-7721 cells were evaluated by MTT. Cell cycle and apoptotic cell percentage were studied by flow cytometry. The protein of Bcl-2 was detected by Western blot. The intra-cellular protein of Bcl-2 was detected by flow cytometry. The proteins of caspase9 and caspase3 were detected by ELISA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  C8 inhibited the growth of SMMC-7721 cells. The IC50 of C8 on SMMC-7721 cells was 15 micromol/L. C8 initiated apoptosis of SMMC-7721 cells. After SMMC-7721 cells were exposed to C8 in concentrations of 10, 15, 20 micromol/L, the apoptosis rates were 16.8%, 29.4% and 35.8%, respectively, significantly higher than those of the controls (P less than 0.01). Flow cytometry and Western blot analysis showed that Bcl-2 protein level was inhibited after treatment with C8. The ELISA analysis showed that caspase9 and caspase3 were activated in the SMMC-7721 cells after the C8 treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  C8 could induce apoptosis of human liver cancer SMMC-7721 cells. C8 might be a potential efficient anticancer drug.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Medical College of Dalian University, Dalian 116622, China.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Ying-Jie
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Chen