Induction of apoptosis and transient increase of phosphorylated MAPKs by diallyl disulfide treatment in human nasopharyngeal carcinoma CNE2 cells.

This study was undertaken to elucidate the effect of diallyl disulfide (DADS), an oil-soluble organosulfur compound found in garlic, in suppressing human nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells. A potent increase (of at least 9-fold) in apoptotic cells has accompanied 1) a decrease in cell viability, 2) a increase of the fraction of S-phase cells by up to 63.8%, and 3) a transient increase of the phospho-p38 and phospho-p42/44 (phosphorylated p38 MAPK and phosphorylated p42/44 MAPK) in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. These results indicate that DADS can induce apoptosis in human nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells via, at least partly, S-phase block of the cell cycle, related to a rise in MAPK phosphorylation.