Wang Y, Li Q, Fan ZZ, Wang YQ, Qiu YY, Jin BH, Chen XZ, Yin PH. Tanshinone IIA induces apoptosis of pancreatic cancer cells via the SAPK/JNK signal pathway.
Shijie Huaren Xiaohua Zazhi 2011;
19:1028-1033. [DOI:
10.11569/wcjd.v19.i10.1028]
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Abstract
AIM: To investigate whether tanshinone IIA (TSIIA) induces apoptosis of human pancreatic cancer cells via the SAPK/JNK signal pathway.
METHODS: After treatment with TSIIA, MTT assay was used to observe the cytostatic effect of TSIIA on human pancreatic cancer PANC-1 cells; cell apoptosis was assessed by immunofluorescence and flow cytometry (FCM); p-JNK expression was assayed by Western blot; and mRNA expression of survivin was detected by quantitative fluorescence PCR.
RESULTS: TSIIA inhibited PANC-1 cell growth in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. After PANC-1 cells were treated with 8, 16, or 32 mg/L of TSIIA for 48 h, typical morphologic changes of apoptosis were observed by fluorescence microscopy after Hoechst staining. The apoptosis rates of cells treated with 8, 16, and 32 mg/L of TSIIA for 48 h were (8.83 ± 1.51)%, (12.86 ± 2.70)% and (21.24 ± 2.58)%, respectively, showing a significant difference among the three groups (P < 0.01). After the SAPK/JNK signal pathway was blocked, cell apoptosis rate decreased significantly (P < 0.01). p-JNK expression began to increase at 1 h and reached the peak at 4 h after TSIIA treatment. The mRNA expression of the survivin gene decreased obviously after treatment with 16 mg/L TSIIA for 48 h but increased significantly when the SAPK/JNK signal transduction pathway was blocked.
CONCLUSION: TSIIA can induce human pancreatic cancer cell apoptosis. TSIIA exerts anti-pancreatic cancer effects possibly by down-regulating the expression of survivin mRNA via the SAPK/JNK signal transduction pathway.
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