title: Effect of puerarin on human choriocarcinoma cells.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To discuss the effect of puerarin on human choriocarcinoma cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  Survival rates under puerarin monotherapy, fluorouracil (5-FU) monotherapy and puerarin in combination with 5-FU were detected by MTT assay. Apoptotic morphology was observed with Hoechst 33258 staining. Apoptosis rates were detected with flow cytometry. Expressions of AKT, mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR), and P70S6K mRNAs and phosphorylated proteins were detected by RT-PCR and Western blot. Tumor-bearing mice were administered puerarin and puerarin+5-FU, and serum levels of β-human chorionic gonadotropin (β-HCG) were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Proliferation inhibition and apoptosis rates of JEG-3 cells were positively correlated with puerarin concentration, which increased in the puerarin+5-FU group. Expression levels of AKT, mTOR, P70S6K mRNAs, and phosphorylated proteins decreased significantly after action of puerarin at different concentrations. With increasing puerarin concentration, expression of cleaved-caspase-3 in JEG-3 cells increased, whereas that of Bcl-2 decreased. Puerarin significantly inhibited tumor growth in choriocarcinoma-bearing SCID mice. Serum β-HCG levels were significantly lower than those of control group after administration. Magnitude of β-HCG decline was positively correlated with concentration..
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Puerarin+5-FU inhibited proliferation of JEG-3 choriocarcinoma cells and promoted their apoptosis, being associated with the mTOR signaling pathway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot 010059, PR China.
authors.forename: Bao
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lidao
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot 010059, PR China.
authors.forename: Wang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot 010059, PR China.
authors.forename: Ma
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ruilian
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot 010059, PR China.
authors.forename: Ren
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Xianhua
authors.affiliation: Department of Scientific Research, Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot 010059, PR China.
authors.forename: Lv
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Haijun
authors.affiliation: College of Mongolian Medicine, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot 010059, PR China.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Agula
keywords: JEG-3; choriocarcinoma; fluorouracil; puerarin