Cantharidin induces G2/M phase arrest and apoptosis in human gastric cancer SGC‑7901 and BGC‑823 cells

Zhang,Chenjing; Chen,Zhongting; Zhou,Xinglu; Xu,Wen; Wang,Gang; Tang,Xiaoxiao; Luo,Laisheng; Tu,Jiangfeng; Zhu,Yimiao; Hu,Wen; Xu,Xiang; Pan,Wensheng

doi:10.3892/ol.2014.2611

Cantharidin induces G2/M phase arrest and apoptosis in human gastric cancer SGC‑7901 and BGC‑823 cells

Authors:
- Chenjing Zhang
- Zhongting Chen
- Xinglu Zhou
- Wen Xu
- Gang Wang
- Xiaoxiao Tang
- Laisheng Luo
- Jiangfeng Tu
- Yimiao Zhu
- Wen Hu
- Xiang Xu
- Wensheng Pan
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Affiliations: Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310009, P.R. China, Department of Pharmacy, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310009, P.R. China, Department of Gastroenterology, Binjiang Campus of The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310009, P.R. China, Department of Pharmacy, Binjiang Campus of The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310009, P.R. China
Published online on: October 10, 2014 https://doi.org/10.3892/ol.2014.2611
Pages: 2721-2726

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Abstract

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of cantharidin (CTD) on human gastric cancer cells and to explore the underlying mechanisms of these effects. The human gastric cancer SGC‑7901 and BGC‑823 cell lines were treated with CTD. MTS assays were then employed to examine cellular proliferation, flow cytometry was used to analyze the cell cycle and apoptosis, and western blot analysis was used to determine protein expression levels. It was found that CTD inhibited the proliferation of the human gastric cancer SGC‑7901 and BGC‑823 cells in a dose‑ and time‑dependent manner in vitro. CTD also induced G2/M phase arrest and cellular apoptosis in a dose‑dependent manner. In addition, CTD increased the levels of p21, caspase‑7, ‑8 and ‑9, activated caspase‑3, poly ADP ribose polymerase and Bad, but decreased the levels of cyclin‑dependent kinase 1, cyclin A and B, B‑cell lymphoma‑2 (Bcl‑2) and Bid. The present results suggested that CTD may inhibit the proliferation of human gastric cancer SGC‑7901 and BGC‑823 cells in vitro by inducing G2/M phase arrest and cell apoptosis. CTD may induce cellular G2/M phase arrest by regulating cycle‑associated proteins and induce apoptosis by activating a caspase cascade or regulating the Bcl‑2 family proteins.

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