Diallyl trisulfide induces Bcl-2 and caspase-3-dependent apoptosis via downregulation of Akt phosphorylation in human T24 bladder cancer cells.

It is well known that the garlic-derived organosulfur compounds (OSCs) are effective to inhibit a variety of human cancers such as prostate, breast, colon, skin, lung, and bladder cancers. Herein, the pro-apoptotic effects of diallyl trisulfide (DATS), one of garlic-derived OSCs, on T24 bladder cancer cells were investigated. The results demonstrated that DATS suppressed proliferation of T24 bladder cancer cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner which was associated with induced G2/M Phase cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Mechanistically, DATS inhibits phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase/Akt activation that, in turn, results in modulation of Bcl-2 family proteins, leading to enhanced apoptosis of T24 cells. These findings suggest that DATS may be an effective way for treating human bladder and other types of cancers. Copyright 2009 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.