Isoimperatorin induces apoptosis of the SGC-7901 human gastric cancer cell line via the mitochondria-mediated pathway.

The present study was designed to investigate the antiproliferative activity of isoimperatorin against SGC-7901 cells and to examine the possible mechanisms. The antiproliferative activity of isoimperatorin against SGC-7901 cells was evaluated using an MTT assay, and the mechanisms were investigated using flow cytometry and western blot assays, which were used to determine the apoptotic rate and expression levels of mitochondria-mediated apoptosis-associated proteins, including Survivin, myeloid leukemia cell-1 (Mcl-1), B cell lymphoma-extra large (Bcl-xl), B cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2), second mitochondria-derived activator of caspase (Smac), Bcl-2-associated X factor (Bax), cleaved (c)-caspase-3 and c-caspase-9 in SGC-7901 cells. Additionally, a xenograft assay was used to confirm whether isoimperatorin had an inhibitory effect on SGC-7901 cell-induced tumors in vivo. The results of the MTT assay suggested that isoimperatorin significantly inhibited the proliferation of SGC-7901 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner, and the half maximal inhibitory concentration was 18.75 µg/ml. The results of the flow cytometric analysis indicated that, following treatment with isoimperatorin, the apoptotic rate of SGC-7901 cells was significantly increased, compared with that of cells in the control group. The results of the western blot analysis indicated that, following treatment with isoimperatorin, the expression levels of the pro-apoptotic proteins, Bax, c-caspase-3 and c-caspase-9, were significantly increased and the expression levels of the anti-apoptotic proteins, Survivin and Bcl-2, were significantly reduced, compared with the control group. No alterations in expression were found in the other apoptosis-associated proteins, including Mcl-1, Bcl-xl and Smac. The results of the xenograft assay indicated that isoimperatorin significantly inhibited the growth of SGC-7901 cell-induced tumor in vivo by increasing the expression levels of pro-apoptotic proteins (Bax, c-caspase-3 and c-caspase-9) and reducing the expression levels of anti-apoptotic proteins (Survivin and Bcl-2) without adverse effects on the increasing body weight of nude mice. In conclusion, the present study revealed that isoimperatorin may be able to induce the apoptosis of SGC-7901 cells in vitro and in vivo by regulating the expression levels of mitochondria-mediated apoptosis-associated proteins.