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The citrus flavonoid nobiletin inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis in human pancreatic cancer cells in vitro

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Abstract

The cellular effects of nobiletin on human pancreatic cancer cells (PANC-1) and the mechanisms by which nobiletin inhibits the proliferation of these cells were investigated. A MTT assay and flow cytometry were used to examine cell proliferation and apoptosis, respectively. A Western blot assay was used to examine expression levels of the apoptotic proteins bax, bcl-2, and p53. NOB induced apoptosis in these cells via up-regulation of the proapoptotic protein bax and down-regulation of the antiapoptotic proteins bcl-2 and p53. The normal cell cycle of PANC-1 cells was arrested by NOB with a significant increase in the proportion of G0/G1 phase cells (p<0.05) and a significant decrease in the proportion of S phase cells (p<0.05). NOB can inhibit the proliferation of human pancreatic carcinoma cells by inducing apoptosis and arresting the cell cycle progression.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Food Science, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400716, China

    Yu Zhang, Hongjun Li & Zhifei He

  2. Citrus Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400712, China

    Yu Zhang, Huating Dou & Houjiu Wu

Authors
  1. Yu Zhang
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  2. Huating Dou
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  3. Hongjun Li
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  4. Zhifei He
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  5. Houjiu Wu
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Correspondence to Huating Dou.

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Zhang, Y., Dou, H., Li, H. et al. The citrus flavonoid nobiletin inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis in human pancreatic cancer cells in vitro . Food Sci Biotechnol 23, 225–229 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10068-014-0031-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10068-014-0031-6

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