The effect of combination treatment with docosahexaenoic acid and 5-fluorouracil on the mRNA expression of apoptosis-related genes, including the novel gene BCL2L12, in gastric cancer cells.
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) plays an important role in suppressing the growth of cancer. In this paper, the synergetic anticancer effect of combination DHA with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) was investigated in gastric carcinoma cells. We found that DHA inhibited the growth of cultured SGC7901 cells at different concentrations in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Furthermore, the growth-inhibition activities of increasing concentration of 5-FU were markedly enhanced when different doses of 5-FU were administered in the combination with dose as low as 40 microg/ml of DHA. The early phase of apoptosis was increased in DHA- and 5-FU-treated cells. In the case of apoptotic genes expression in the combination-treated cells, BAX mRNA expression increased, whereas FAS, BCL-2, BCL2L12, and CASPASE-9 mRNA expression decreased. These results suggest that DHA strongly enhances the anticancer effect of 5-FU. Moreover, the application of both compounds on gastric cancer cells provides a new potential approach for cancer therapy.
Zhuo
Zhihong
Z
School of Medicine, Ningbo University, 818 Fenghua Road, Ningbo, 315211, Zhejiang Province, People's Republic of China.
Zhang
Leming
L
Mu
Qitian
Q
Lou
Yanru
Y
Gong
Zhaohui
Z
Shi
Yijiu
Y
Ouyang
Guifang
G
Zhang
Yi
Y
D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000494:pharmacology; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004357:Drug Synergism; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D009124:Muscle Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*
D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; C430100:BCL2L12 protein, human; D009124:Muscle Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids; D005472:Fluorouracil