title: Silibinin inhibits proliferation, induces apoptosis and causes cell cycle arrest in human gastric cancer MGC803 cells via STAT3 pathway inhibition.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To investigate the effect of silibinin on proliferation and apoptosis in human gastric cancer cell line MGC803 and its possible mechanisms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Human gastric cancer cell line MGC803 cells were treated with various concentration of silibinin. Cellular viability was assessed by CCK-8 assay and apoptosis and cell cycle distribution by flow cytometry. Protein expression and mRNA of STAT3, and cell cycle and apoptosis regulated genes were detected by Western blotting and real-time polymerase chain reaction, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Silibinin inhibits growth of MGC803 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Silibinin effectively induces apoptosis of MGC803 cells and arrests MGC803 cells in the G2/M phase of the cell cycle, while decreasing the protein expression of p-STAT3, and of STAT3 downstream target genes including Mcl-1, Bcl-xL, survivin at both protein and mRNA levels. In addition, silibinin caused an increase in caspase 3 and caspase 9 protein as well as mRNA levels. Silibinin caused G2/M phage arrest accompanied by a decrease in CDK1 and Cyclin B1 at protein and mRNA levels..
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that silibinin inhibits the proliferation of MGC803 cells, and it induces apoptosis and causes cell cycle arrest by down-regulating CDK1, cyclinB1, survivin, Bcl-xl, Mcl-1 and activating caspase 3 and caspase 9, potentially via the STAT3 pathway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Sichuan Cancer Hospital, Chengdu, China E-mail : watericedog2014@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Yi-Xin
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Tian-Bao
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Hai
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D016203:CDC2 Protein Kinase; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D053453:Caspase 9 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D056744:Cyclin B1 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D018844:Cyclin-Dependent Kinases / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D015536:Down-Regulation; D006801:Humans; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D059566:M Phase Cell Cycle Checkpoints / Q000187:drug effects; D064549:Myeloid Cell Leukemia Sequence 1 Protein / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000077385:Silybin; D012838:Silymarin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000077022:Survivin; D051020:bcl-X Protein / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; C494811:BCL2L1 protein, human; C107489:BIRC5 protein, human; C534699:CCNB1 protein, human; D056744:Cyclin B1; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins; C579095:MCL1 protein, human; D064549:Myeloid Cell Leukemia Sequence 1 Protein; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor; C494086:STAT3 protein, human; D012838:Silymarin; D000077022:Survivin; D051020:bcl-X Protein; D000077385:Silybin; D016203:CDC2 Protein Kinase; C528899:CDK1 protein, human; D018844:Cyclin-Dependent Kinases; D053148:Caspase 3; D053453:Caspase 9