Gastric Cancer
Copyright ©2005 Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Oct 28, 2005; 11(40): 6254-6257
Published online Oct 28, 2005. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v11.i40.6254
Capsaicin-induced cell death in a human gastric adenocarcinoma cell line
Yi-Ching Lo, Yuan-Chieh Yang, I-Chen Wu, Fu-Chen Kuo, Chi-Ming Liu, Hao-Wei Wang, Chao-Hung Kuo, Jeng-Yi Wu, Deng-Chyang Wu
Yi-Ching Lo, Chi-Ming Liu, Hao-Wei Wang, Department and Graduate Institute of Pharmacology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan, China
Yuan-Chieh Yang, Department of Clinical Pathology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan, China
I-Chen Wu, Chao-Hung Kuo, Jeng-Yi Wu, Deng-Chyang Wu, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital. Kaohsiung City, Taiwan, China
Fu-Chen Kuo, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, E-DA Hospital, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, China
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Supported by Grants from the National Science Council of the ROC, No. NSC 89-2314-B-037-073 and NSC-89-2315-B-037-004
Correspondence to: Dr. Deng-Chyang Wu, Chief of Gastroenterology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, 100 Zih-You 1st Road Kaohsiung City, 807 Taiwan, China. dechwu@yahoo.com
Telephone: +886-7-3121101-7451 Fax: +886-7-3135612
Received: December 23, 2004
Revised: February 15, 2005
Accepted: February 18, 2005
Published online: October 28, 2005
Abstract

AIM: Capsaicin, a pungent ingredient found in red pepper, has long been used in spices, food additives, and drugs. Cell death induced by the binding of capsaicin was examined in a human gastric adenocarcinoma cell line (AGS cells).

METHODS: By using XTT-based cytotoxicity assay, flow cytometry using the TUNEL method, and quantitation of DNA fragmentation, both cell death and DNA fragmentation were detected in AGS cells treated with capsaicin. By using Western blotting methods, capsaicin reduced the expression of Bcl-2, the antiapoptotic protein, in AGS cells in a concentration-dependent manner.

RESULTS: After incubation of AGS cells with capsaicin for 24 h, cell viability decreased significantly in a dose-dependent manner. After incubation of AGS cells with capsaicin for 24 h, apoptotic bodies also significantly increased, and were again correlated with the dose of capsaicin. When the concentration of capsaicin was 1 mmol/L, the amount of DNA fragments also increased. Similar results were also in the lower traces.

CONCLUSION: These results suggest that capsaicin-induced cell death might be via a Bcl-2 sensitive apoptotic pathway. Therefore, capsaicin might induce protection from gastric cancer.

Keywords: Capsaicin; Human gastric adenocarcinoma; Apoptosis; Bcl-2