Abstract:
Objective To investigate whether periplocin extracted from cortex periplocae (CPP) induces the apoptosis of gastric cancer cells through the lysosomal pathway.
Methods MGC-803 cells were treated with CPP at different concentrations(50, 100, 200ng/ml) for 24 and 48h. MTS assays were performed to measure the cell proliferation. The apoptosis of cells were analyzed using TUNEL. Western blot was used to examine the change of Capase-3 and Caspase-9 expression in MGC-803 cells treated with CPP at different concentrations for 24h. Acridine orange staining and immunofluorescence were introduced to observe the situation of lysosomes release and the change of Cathepsin B expression.
Results Compared with the blank control group (0ng/ml), CPP(50, 100, 200ng/ml) inhibited MGC-803 cells proliferation and induced cell apoptosis after 24 and 48h: the proliferation rates after 24h were (66.43±1.67)%, (55.39±3.63)%, (37.06±0.57)% vs. (100.14±8.49)% (P<0.05), and after 48h were (38.16±3.26)%, (32.00±1.83)%, (24.75±1.57)% vs. (100.33±8.98)% (P<0.05); the apoptosis rates after 24h were (28.56±6.96)%, (33.70±4.60)%, (60.42±4.48)% vs. (2.23±1.0)% (P<0.05). The expression of cleaved Caspase-3 and Caspase-9 were elevated. The integrity of the lysosomal membrane was damaged and Cathepsin B was released to cytoplasm from lysosome.
Conclusion CPP could induce the apoptosis of gastric cancer cells through the lysosomal pathway.