title: Anti-cancer effects of Grailsine-Al-glycoside isolated from Rhizoma Sparganii.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  An embryonic toxicity of Rhizoma sparganii was observed in mice. This study was aimed to evaluate the anticancer effects of Grailsine-Al-glycoside, the bioactive component of Rhizoma sparganii, on estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) and estrogen receptor-negative (ER-) cancer cell lines.
  
  
  METHODS
  After A549, HeLa, HepG-2 and MCF-7 cells were treated with Grailsine-Al-glycoside, cell proliferation was analyzed by MTT, cell cycle and apoptosis by flow cytometry, and morphology with an immunofluorescence microscope.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Grailsine-Al-glycoside strongly suppressed cell proliferation in a dose-dependent fashion in A549, MCF-7, HepG2, and HeLa cells, though this growth inhibitory effect on HepG2 cells was not as strong and long lasting. Compared to the control, Grailsine-Al-glycoside caused a significant increase of apoptosis in A549, MCF-7 and Hela cells. A549 and MCF-7 cells were arrested at the G2/S phase whereas HepG2 cells were arrested at the G1 phase by a high concentration of Grailsine-Al-glycoside . Cell shapes were also changed by the presence of Grailsine-Al-glycoside.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Grailsine-Al-glycoside from Rhizoma sparganii inhibited the proliferation of ER+ and some ER- cancer cells. Grailsine-Al-glycoside may be used as a chemotherapeutic agent against ER+ and ERRα-expressing ER- cancers.
authors.forename: Jun-Wu
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, College of Life Science, Northwest University, 229 Taibai Road (N), Xi'an 710069, P,R, China. weiyahui@nwu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Ya-Hui
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Wei
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D048430:Cell Shape / Q000187:drug effects; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D027343:Rhizome / Q000737:chemistry*; D032401:Typhaceae / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal