Induction of apoptosis by arsenic trioxide and hydroxycamptothecin in gastric cancer cells in vitro

AIM To study the effects of arsenic trioxide andHCPT on different degrees of differentiated gastriccancer cells(SGC-7901,MKN-45,MKN-28)withrespect to both cytotoxicity and induction ofapoptosis in vitro.METHODS The cytotoxicity of As2O3and HCPTon gastric cancer cells was determined by MTTassay.Morphologic changes of apoptosis ofgastric cancer cells were observed by lightmicroscopy and transmission electron microscopy.Apoptosis and cell cycle changes of gastric cancercells induced by HCPT and As2O3were investigatedby TUNEL method and flow cytometry.RESULTS As2O3and HCPT had remarkablecytotoxic effects on different degrees ofdifferentiated gastric cancer cells.The IC50ofAs2O3on well differentiated gastric cancer cellMKN-28,moderately differentiated gastric cancercell SGC-7901,and poorly differentiated gastriccancer cell MKN-28 were 8.91 μmol/L,10.57μmol/L,and 11.65 μmol/L,respectively.The IC50of HCPT on MKN-28,SGC-7901,and MKN-45 were9.35 mg/L,10.21 mg/L,and 12.63 mg/Lrespectively after 48 h treatment.After 12 h ofexposure to both drugs,gastric cancer cellsexhibited morphologic features of apoptosis,including cell shrinkage,nuclear condensation, and formation of apoptotic bodies.A typicalsubdiploid peak before G0/G1phase was observedby flow cytometry.The apoptotic rates of SGC-7901,MKN-45,and MKN-28 were 13.84%,22.52%,and 9.68%,respectively after 48 hexposure to 10 μmol/L As2O3.The apoptotic ratesof SGC-7901,MKN-45,and MKN-28 were 21.88%,12.35%,and 30.26%,respectively after 48 hexposure to 10 mg/L HCPT.The apoptotic indicewere 7%-15% as assessed by TUNEL method.The effect of As2O3on SGC-7901 showedremarkable cell cycle specificity,which inducedcell death in G1phase,and blocked G2/M phase.HCPT also showed a remarkable cell cyclespecificity,by inducing cell death and apoptosis inG1phase and arrest of proliferation at S phase.CONCLUSION As2O3and HCPT exhibitsignificant cytotoxicity on gastric cancer cells byinduction of apoptosis.As2O3and HCPT mighthave a promising prospect in the treatment ofgastric cancer,which needs to be further studied.