Published online Sep 15, 2000. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v6.iSuppl3.111
Revised: June 24, 2000
Accepted: July 10, 2000
Published online: September 15, 2000
AIM: To investigate the morphological and ultrastructural changes in the human gastric carcinoma cell line BGC-823 after being treated with tachyplesin.
METHODS: Tachyplesin was isolated from acid extracts of Chinese horseshoe crab (Tachypleus tridentatus) hemocytes. BGC-823 cells and the cells treated with 2.0 μg/mL tachyplesin were examined respectively with light microscope, scanning and transmission electron microscope.
RESULTS: BGC-823 cells had undergone restorative morphological and ultrastructural changes after being treated with 2.0 μg/mL tachyplesin. The cells tended to be flat and spread, and their volume enlarged, nucleo-cytoplasmic ratio decreased, the shape of nucleus became relatively regular, the number and volume of nuleous decreased, heterchromatin decreased while euchromatin increased, the number of mitochondria increased with their structure relatively consistent, Golgi apparatus turned to be typical, rough endoplasmic reticulum increased, polyribosome decreased, microvilli and filopodia reduced while lamellipodia increased.
CONCLUSION: Tachyplesin could change the malignant morphological and ultrastructural characteristics of human gastric carcinoma cells effectively and had certain effects on inducing differentiation of human gastric carcinoma cells.