[Roles of ERK1/2 MAPK in vitamin E succinate-induced apoptosis in human gastric cancer SGC-7901 cells].

In order to investigate the roles of ERK1/2 mitogen-activated protein kinase in vitamin E succinate (VES)-induced apoptosis in human gastric cancer SGC-7901 cells, apoptosis was observed by DAPI staining and the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 by VES at different doses and different time points was measured by western blot. The results showed that VES obviously induced cells to undergo apoptosis and apoptotic rate after 24 h and 48 h of treatment with VES at 20 micrograms/ml. VES was 14.2% and 89.4%, respectively. The expression of p-ERK was evidently reduced by VES at 5, 10 and 20 micrograms/ml for 24 h. ERK1/2 was immediately activated by VES at 20 micrograms/ml, but the expression was decreased for 2 h, then increased again and reached the top level for 12 h. The data implicated that ERK1/2 pathway might be involved in VES-induced apoptosis, but in the proliferation eventually.