title: Effects of serum containing Chinese medicine Sanpi Pingwei () formula on proliferation and apoptosis of human SGC-7901 cells.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effects of serum containing Chinese medicine (CM) Sanpi Pingwei (, SPPW) formula on the proliferation and apoptosis of human SGC-7901 cells and the possible mechanism.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum containing CM SPPW formula (SPPW serum) was prepared by a serum pharmacology method. Human SGC-7901 cells were incubated with SPPW serum at three different concentrations and with the anticancer drug 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), respectively. Cell proliferation was assessed by MTT assay, and cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry assay. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot assay were employed to confirm the expressions of Bcl-2, Bax and p53 in SGC-7901 cells at mRNA and protein levels, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  SPPW serum suppressed the proliferation of SGC-7901 cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner. The colony forming rate of negative control was 48.2%, while those in the three SPPW serum groups and the 5-FU group decreased significantly (P<0.01). The number of colony forming units in the SPPW high dosage group was significantly smaller than that in the 5-FU group (P<0.01). MTT assay showed that SPPW serum restrained the proliferation of SGC-7901 cells, and the inhibition rate increased significantly in a dose-dependent manner. Annexin V/PI Assay suggested that SPPW serum induced the apoptosis of SGC-7901 cells significantly. RT-PCR and western blot assay indicated that SPPW serum upregulated the protein and mRNA expression levels of Bax and p53 in SGC-7901 cells, but downregulated the protein and mRNA expressions of Bcl-2.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SPPW formula inhibits the proliferation of SGC-7901 cells in vitro and induces the cell apoptosis. It plays an anticancer role by regulating the expressions of Bax, p53 and Bcl-2 in SGC-7901 cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Yan
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Dang
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Hai-Tao
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Bai-Cang
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Zou
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000494:pharmacology; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D044967:Serum / Q000737:chemistry*; D014410:Tumor Stem Cell Assay; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; C583497:sanpi pingwei; D005472:Fluorouracil