Gastric Cancer
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2003. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Mar 15, 2003; 9(3): 442-445
Published online Mar 15, 2003. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v9.i3.442
Paclitaxel induces apoptosis in human gastric carcinoma cells
Hai-Bo Zhou, Ju-Ren Zhu
Hai-Bo Zhou, Ju-Ren Zhu, Department Of Gastroenterology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Jinan 250052, Shandong Province, China
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Correspondence to: Dr. Hai-Bo Zhou, Department Of Gastroenterology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Jinan 250052, Shandong Province, China. zhouhbyy@fm365.com.cn
Telephone: +86-531-2603194
Received: August 3, 2002
Revised: October 8, 2002
Accepted: November 21, 2002
Published online: March 15, 2003
Abstract

AIM: To investigate the apoptosis in gastric cancer cells induced by paclitaxel, and the relation between this apoptosis and expression of Bcl-2 and Bax.

METHODS: In in vitro experiments, MTT assay was used to determine the cell growth inhibitory rate. Transmission electron microscope and TUNEL staining method were used to quantitatively and qualitively detect the apoptosis status of gastric cancer cell line SGC-7901 before and after the paclitaxel treatment. Immunohistochemical staining was used to detect the expression of apoptosis-regulated gene Bcl-2 and Bax.

RESULTS: Paclitaxel inhibited the growth of gastric cancer cell line SGC-7901 in a dose-and time-dependent manner. Paclitaxel induced SGC-7901 cells to undergo apoptosis with typically apoptotic characteristics, including morphological changes of chromatin condensation, chromatin crescent formation, nucleus fragmentation and apoptotic body formation. Paclitaxel could reduce the expression of apoptosis-regulated gene Bcl-2, and improve the expression of apoptosis-regulated gene Bax.

CONCLUSION: Paclitaxel is able to induce the apoptosis in gastric cancer. This apoptosis may be mediated by down-expression of apoptosis-regulated gene Bcl-2 and up-expression of apoptosis-regulated gene Bax.

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