Ursolic acid inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis of cancer cells in vitro and in vivo.

Abstract

The aims of the study are to explore the effect of ursolic acid (UA) on the growth of gastric cancer cell line BGC-803 and hepatocellular cancer cell H22 xenograft and to understand the mechanism. UA inhibits growth of BGC-803 cells in vitro in dose-dependent and time-dependent manner. Treated with UA in vivo, tumor cells can be arrested to G0/G1 stage. The apoptotic rate was significantly increased in tumor cells treated with UA both in vitro and in vivo. DNA fragmentation was found in BGC-803 cells exposed to UA. UA activated caspase-3, -8, and -9 and down regulated expression of Bcl-2 in BGC-803 cells. The expression of caspase-3 and -8 was elevated in tumor cells from xenograft treated with UA. ¹⁸F-FLT PET-CT imaging confirmed tumor model and UA effectiveness. Our results indicated that UA inhibits growth of tumor cells both in vitro and in vivo by decreasing proliferation of cells and inducing apoptosis.

• Authors: Xuemei Wang, Fan Zhang, Ling Yang, Ying Mei, Hai Long, Xiaowen Zhang, Jialing Zhang, Qimuge-Suyila, Xiulan Su
• Journal: Journal of biomedicine & biotechnology (J Biomed Biotechnol) Vol. 2011 Pg. 419343 ( 2011) ISSN: 1110-7251 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 21716649 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic
• Drugs, Chinese Herbal
• Triterpenes
• Caspases

Topics

• Animals
• Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic (therapeutic use)
• Apoptosis (drug effects)
• Carcinoma, Hepatocellular (drug therapy)
• Caspases (metabolism)
• Cell Line, Tumor
• Cell Proliferation (drug effects)
• Drugs, Chinese Herbal (chemistry)
• Female
• Humans
• Liver Neoplasms (drug therapy)
• Male
• Mice
• Stomach Neoplasms (drug therapy)
• Triterpenes (analysis, therapeutic use)
• Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
• Ursolic Acid