Original Articles
Copyright ©The Author(s) 1998. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Aug 15, 1998; 4(4): 317-319
Published online Aug 15, 1998. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v4.i4.317
Reversing effect of Tanshinone on malignant phenotypes of human hepatocarcinoma cell line
Shu-Lan Yuan, Ren-Min Huang, Xiu-Jie Wang, Yi Song, Guang-Qi Huang
Shu-Lan Yuan, Ren-Min Huang, Xiu-Jie Wang, Yi Song, Guang-Qi Huang, Institute of Cancer Research, West China University of Medical Sciences, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China
Shu-Lan Yuan, female, born on 1964-06-25 in Jining, Shandong Province and graduated from Shangdong Medical University in 1986, now lecturer, engaged in research in cell and molecular biology of cancer, including differentiation inducing therapy of tumors, having 12 papers published.
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Correspondence to: Shu-Lan Yuan, Institute of Cancer Research, West China University of Medical Sciences, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China
Telephone: +86-28-5501282 Fax: +86-28-5583252
Received: March 8, 1998
Revised: April 16, 1998
Accepted: May 13, 1998
Published online: August 15, 1998
Abstract

AIM: To study the reversing effect of Chinese drug tanshinone on malignant phenotype of cancer cells.

METHODS: Human hepatocarcinoma cell line (SMMC-7721) was treated in vitro with 0.5 mg/L tanshinone for 4 days, and variation in cell differentiation wasdetected.

RESULTS: The morphology of cancer cells was tended toward well differentiation and cell growth was markedly inhibited. BrdU uptake assay and immunohistochemical stain of PCNA showed that the BrdU labeling rate and PCNA positive rate were lower than the controls, but no difference was found statistically as compared with all transretinoic acid. Flow cytometric assay demonstrated that S phase cells decreased and G0/G1 phase cells increased. Expression of c-myc oncogene protein decreased but the c-fos oncogene protein markedly increased.

CONCLUSION: Tanshinone could reverse the inducing differentiation in human hepatocarcinoma cells (SMMC-7721). It may become a new prospective inducer of cell differentiation to treat cancers.

Keywords: tanshinone, liver neoplasms, carcinoma, hepatocellular, tumor cell, cultured, cell line, immunohistochemistry, proliferation cell nuclear antigen, flow cytometry