Capsaicin induces apoptosis and modulates MAPK signaling in human gastric cancer cells.

Abstract

Capsaicin is known to have tumor suppressive effects. However, the molecular mechanisms and targets of capsaicin involved in exerting anticancer activity are complex and remain to be clarified. The aim of the current study was to investigate the effects of capsaicin on human gastric cancer cells (AGS cells) and demonstrate that capsaicin induced apoptosis in AGS cells. Results of the MTT assay and flow cytometry revealed that capsaicin potentially inhibited the proliferation of AGS cells and induced apoptosis in vitro in a dose-dependent manner. Cleaved caspase-3 was increased and Bcl-2 was reduced by treatment with capsaicin in AGS cells. Capsaicin treatment decreased the expression of phosphorylated ERK 1/2, p38 MAPK or JNK in AGS cells. The results of this study suggest that capsaicin may serve as an anti-tumorigenic agent in human gastric cancer.

• Authors: Seon-Young Park, Ji-Young Kim, Su-Mi Lee, Chung-Hwan Jun, Sung-Bum Cho, Chang-Hwan Park, Young-Eun Joo, Hyun-Soo Kim, Sung-Kyu Choi, Jong-Sun Rew
• Journal: Molecular medicine reports (Mol Med Rep) Vol. 9 Issue 2 Pg. 499-502 (Feb 2014) ISSN: 1791-3004 [Electronic] Greece
• PMID: 24337453 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2
• p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
• Caspase 3
• Capsaicin

Topics

• Apoptosis (drug effects)
• Capsaicin (administration & dosage)
• Caspase 3 (biosynthesis)
• Cell Line, Tumor
• Cell Proliferation (drug effects)
• Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic (drug effects)
• Humans
• Mitochondria (drug effects)
• Phosphorylation (drug effects)
• Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 (biosynthesis)
• Signal Transduction (drug effects)
• Stomach Neoplasms (drug therapy, pathology)
• p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases (biosynthesis)