title: [Effects of β-elemene on proliferation and apoptosis of SGC7901 gastric cancer cells in vitro and the underlying mechanisms].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effects of β-elemene in suppressing the proliferation and apoptosis of SGC7901 gastric cancer cells in vitro and explore the underlying mechanisms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using MTT assay, flow cytometry, and clonogenic survival assay, we assessed the effects of β-elemene on the viability, apoptosis, cell cycle distribution, and clonogenic survival of gastric cancer SGC7901 cells and gastric mucosal epithelial GES-1 cells. Western blotting was employed to determine the changes in the protein expression profiles in SGC7901 cells in response to β-elemene treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  β-elemene significantly suppressed the cell viability and increased the apoptosis of SGC7901 cells, and these effects were less obvious in GES-1 cells. β-elemene decreased clonogenic survival of SGC7901 cells, increased the proportion of G2/M phase cells, decreased the expression of Bcl-2, and increased the expression of Bax and cleaved caspase-3. β-elemene did not obviously affect the expression of total p21-activated protein kinase 1 (Pak1) but decreased the level of phospho-Pak1 (Thr423) and phospho-ERK1/2 (Thr202/Tyr204) in SGC7901 cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  β-elemene inhibits the proliferation and induces apoptosis of gastric cancer cells possibly by inhibiting Pak1/ERK signaling and regulating apoptosis-associated proteins such as Bcl-2 and Bax.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University College of Medicine, Xi'an 710061, China.E-mail: doctorljs@sina.com.
authors.forename: Junsong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xianglong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Guanglin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: Zhengliang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Shicai
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Shuai
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Xiangming
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Che
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D002453:Cell Cycle; D002455:Cell Division; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor / Q000187:drug effects; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002470:Cell Survival; D006801:Humans; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; C445979:beta-elemene