title: [The growth-inhibiting effect and its molecular mechanism of Tanshinone on human lung cancer cell line in vitro].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To study the growth-inhibiting effect and its molecular mechanism of Tanshinone on human lung carcinoma cell line.
  
  
  METHODS
  Human lung adenocarcinoma cell line (SPC-A-1) was treated in vitro with 0.5μg/ml Tanshinone IIA for five days, and the cells treated with all trans retinoic acid (RA) and DDP as control. Changes in cell morphology, proliferation dynamics, cell cycle distribution and tumor-related gene expression were detected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The cell growth and rate of clone formation of SPC-A-1 cells were markedly inhibited in Tanshinone group than RA group. Flow cytometry demonstrated that S phase cells decreased and G₀/G₁ phase cells increased in Tanshinone group. Expression of p53, p21 was up-regulated obviously but CDKN₂ was down-regulated markedly by Tanshinone IIA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Tanshinone IIA can inhibit cell growth and clone formation in human lung cancer cell line (SPC-A-1) and its possible molecular mechanism may be inhibiting DNA synthesis by up-regulating p53, p21 and down-regulating CDKN₂.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracocardiovasc Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R.China.
authors.forename: Jintao
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Qinghua
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Shulan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Yanping
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xiaohe
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jianjun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Qin