Dan Li1, Tengyang Ni1, Li Tao2, Feng Jin2, Haibo Wang2, Jun Feng2, Guang Zhu2, Yayun Qian1, Yanbing Ding3, Masataka Sunagagwa4, Yanqing Liu5. 1. Institute of Traslational Medicine, Medical College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225001, PR China; Department of Gastroenterology, The Affiliated Hospital of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225000, PR China; The Key Laboratory of Syndrome Differentiation and Treatment of Gastric Cancer of the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Yangzhou 225001, PR China. 2. Institute of Traslational Medicine, Medical College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225001, PR China; The Key Laboratory of Syndrome Differentiation and Treatment of Gastric Cancer of the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Yangzhou 225001, PR China. 3. Department of Gastroenterology, The Affiliated Hospital of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225000, PR China. 4. Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Showa University, Tokyo 142, Japan. 5. Department of Gastroenterology, The Affiliated Hospital of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225000, PR China; The Key Laboratory of Syndrome Differentiation and Treatment of Gastric Cancer of the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Yangzhou 225001, PR China. Electronic address: yzumpi@163.com.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: As a representative traditional Chinese medicine made by modern pharmaceutical technology, Jinlong Capsule (JLC) has been used for several decades to treat liver cancer with significantly improved clinical outcomes as adjuvant therapy. JLC consists of three medicinal animals including freshly prepared Bungarus, Agkistrodon and Gecko. The active components were extracted by the process of modern cryogenic and biochemical separation from raw animals. However, the specific molecular mechanisms underlying the antitumor activities of JLC were not fully investigated. In the current study, experiments were carried out to examine the effect of JLC on anti-proliferative, pro-apoptotic activities of human gastric cancer (GC) cell lines in vivo and in vitro. METHODS: MTT assay was used to observe the viability of MGC-803 and BGC-823 cells treated with JLC. Apoptosis and cell cycle distribution of MGC-803 and BGC-823 cells induced by JLC were analyzed by flow cytometry. Western blot assay was used to detect the effect of JLC on apoptosis-related proteins, including Bax, Bcl-2, survivin and caspase-3. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to evaluate the microstructure of apoptotic GC cells. Tumor growth in vivo was monitored using live-imaging system. Immunohistochemical staining (IHC) was used to examine the expression of apoptosis-related proteins in tumor tissues. RESULTS: Our data indicated that JLC inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis of MGC-803 and BGC-823 cells in a concentration-dependent manner. JLC significantly inhibited tumor growth in nude mice. Both in vivo and in vitro studies showed that JLC could downregulate the expression of Bcl-2 and survivin, whereas upregulate the levels of bax and caspase-3. JLC had significant antitumor effects in human GC through cell cycle arresting. Besides, JLC altered the microstructure of GC cells. CONCLUSION: These findings demonstrate that JLC can be considered as a promising candidate in GC treatment.
BACKGROUND: As a representative traditional Chinese medicine made by modern pharmaceutical technology, Jinlong Capsule (JLC) has been used for several decades to treat liver cancer with significantly improved clinical outcomes as adjuvant therapy. JLC consists of three medicinal animals including freshly prepared Bungarus, Agkistrodon and Gecko. The active components were extracted by the process of modern cryogenic and biochemical separation from raw animals. However, the specific molecular mechanisms underlying the antitumor activities of JLC were not fully investigated. In the current study, experiments were carried out to examine the effect of JLC on anti-proliferative, pro-apoptotic activities of humangastric cancer (GC) cell lines in vivo and in vitro. METHODS:MTT assay was used to observe the viability of MGC-803 and BGC-823 cells treated with JLC. Apoptosis and cell cycle distribution of MGC-803 and BGC-823 cells induced by JLC were analyzed by flow cytometry. Western blot assay was used to detect the effect of JLC on apoptosis-related proteins, including Bax, Bcl-2, survivin and caspase-3. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to evaluate the microstructure of apoptotic GC cells. Tumor growth in vivo was monitored using live-imaging system. Immunohistochemical staining (IHC) was used to examine the expression of apoptosis-related proteins in tumor tissues. RESULTS: Our data indicated that JLC inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis of MGC-803 and BGC-823 cells in a concentration-dependent manner. JLC significantly inhibited tumor growth in nude mice. Both in vivo and in vitro studies showed that JLC could downregulate the expression of Bcl-2 and survivin, whereas upregulate the levels of bax and caspase-3. JLC had significant antitumor effects in human GC through cell cycle arresting. Besides, JLC altered the microstructure of GC cells. CONCLUSION: These findings demonstrate that JLC can be considered as a promising candidate in GC treatment.