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Anti-proliferative and chemosensitizing effects of luteolin on human gastric cancer AGS cell line

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Abstract

To investigate the anti-proliferative and chemosensitizing effects of luteolin on human gastric cancer, gastric cancer AGS cells were treated with luteolin and/or other chemotherapeutic agents. Cell growth was assessed by MTT assay, cell cycle and apoptosis were assessed by flow-cytometric analysis, and the expression of major proteins regulating cell cycle and apoptosis was also detected. The results showed that luteolin inhibited the growth of gastric cancer cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Flow cytometry revealed that the percentage of cells at G2/M phase increased dose-dependently. The protein levels of Cdc2, Cyclin B1 and Cdc25C were reduced and p21/cip1 was up-regulated after the treatment with luteolin. Furthermore, luteolin induced apoptosis in gastric cancer AGS cells. Western blotting showed that luteolin treatment significantly increased the levels of pro-apoptotic proteins, including Caspase-3, 6, 9, Bax, and p53, and decreased the levels of anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2, thus shifting the Bax/Bcl ratio in favor of apoptosis. It was also demonstrated that a combinational treatment of cisplatin and luteolin induced more effectively cell growth inhibition, compared to cisplatin treatment alone. These findings indicate the anti-proliferative and chemosensitizing effects of luteolin on human gastric cancer AGS cells and luteolin may be a promising candidate agent used in the treatment of gastric cancer.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Sixth Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China

    Bin Wu & Weiming Shen

  2. Department of Gastroenterology, Shanghai Sixth Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China

    Qiang Zhang

  3. Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Chest Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University, Huaihai Road 241, 200030, Shanghai, China

    Jun Zhu

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  1. Bin Wu
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  2. Qiang Zhang
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  3. Weiming Shen
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  4. Jun Zhu
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Correspondence to Jun Zhu.

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Wu, B., Zhang, Q., Shen, W. et al. Anti-proliferative and chemosensitizing effects of luteolin on human gastric cancer AGS cell line. Mol Cell Biochem 313, 125–132 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11010-008-9749-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11010-008-9749-x

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