title: Antiproliferative effects of essential oil of a compound Chinese herbal medicine Weiqi Decoction on AGS cells.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The main ingredients and the inhibitory effects of essential oil of a compound Chinese herbal medicine Weiqi Decoction (WQD) on AGS cell proliferation were to be investigated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Chemical compounds of WQD essential oil were detected by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry analysis. Cell viability was measured by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium method. Cell cycle distribution was detected by flow cytometry. Apoptosis and necrosis of AGS cells were determined by Hoechst 33342/propidium iodine staining.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Chemical analysis showed that the main ingredients of WQD essential oil were bornylene and 3-n-butylphthalide. Ligustilide, which is the effective compound of Danggui (Radix Angelicae Sinensis), was not detected in WQD essential oil. The essential oil inhibited cell proliferation in a dose- and time-dependent manner, and blocked cell cycle progression at G(2)/M stage. At the concentrations that resulted in significant inhibition of cell proliferation and cell cycle arrest, essential oil induced both apoptosis and necrosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results suggest that WQD essential oil contains some effective ingredients for treating chronic atrophic gastritis and functional dyspepsia, and also has an antiproliferative effect on AGS cells through cell cycle arrest and apoptosis promotion in vitro. Therefore, essential oil should be retained as much as possible during stewing this decoction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200032, China.
authors.forename: Bao
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Hai-lian
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Guang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.forename: Lan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Ai-Li
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Song-shan
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Jian-qun
authors.initials: JQ
authors.lastname: Xie
mesh_terms: D059447:Cell Cycle Checkpoints / Q000187:drug effects; D002460:Cell Line; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D009822:Oils, Volatile
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D009822:Oils, Volatile