This paper aims to study the effects of traditional Chinese medicine Euphorbia esula on multidrug resistant human gastric cancer cells in the cell proliferation, migration, invasion and apoptosis, and to study the apoptosis-inducing pathway. Different dilutions of Euphorbia esula extract were used to process human multidrug resistant gastric cancer SGC7901/ADR cells. Cell proliferation inhibition phenomenon was determined by MTT experiment. Nuclear morphological changes of apoptotic cells and apoptotic indexes were observed and determined by Hochest33528 staining followed with fluorescence microscope observing. Flow cytometry was used to detect cell apoptosis rate. Cell migration and invasion ability were observed and determined by Transwell method. Spectrophotometry was used to detect caspase-3 and caspase-9 enzyme activity. Western blotting was used to detect subcellular distribution of cytochrome c. The results showed that Euphorbia esula extract had obvious inhibition effect on proliferation of gastric cancer multidrug resistant SGC7901/ADR cells, which was time- and concentration-dependent. After processing multidrug resistant gastric cancer SGC7901/ADR cells with Euphorbia esula extract, the apoptotic index and apoptosis rate were significantly increased than those in the control group, which showed a time- and dose-dependent mode; but if a caspase inhibitor was added, apoptosis index was not obviously increased. Transwell method showed that migration and invasion ability of the Euphorbia esula extract-processed SGC7901/ADR cells dropped significantly. Spectrophotometry showed that in Euphorbia esula extract-processed SGC7901/ADR cells, caspase-3 and caspase-9 expression were increased, which had significant differences with the control group. Western blotting test showed that the distribution of cytochrome c decreased in mitochondria, while increased in the cytoplasm (i.e., cytochrome c escaped from mitochondria to the cytoplasm). In conclusion, Euphorbia esula extract could inhibit the proliferation, migration and invasion, and induce apoptosis in human gastric cancer multidrug resistant SGC7901/ADR cells; and cytochrome c, caspase-9 and caspase-3 might be involved in cell apoptosis induced by Euphorbia esula extract, suggesting endogenous or mitochondrial apoptotic pathway.
Objective To investigate the effects of cediranib on hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α)/vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) pathway and proliferation, migration and invasion of liver cancer cells. Methods The hypoxia microenvironment was simulated in vitro, and different doses of cediranib were used to intervene the human hepatoma cell HepG2, MTT assay was used to detect the proliferation of human hepatoma cell HepG2, Transwell chamber assay was used to detect the invasion and migration of human hepatoma cell HepG2, tumor formation in nude mice was used to detect the growth of human hepatoma cell HepG2 in vivo, the angiogenesis of tumor tissue and expression level of HIF-1α/VEGF pathway protein were detected by immunohistochemistry. Results Compared with the control group, the proliferation rate, invasion and migration abilities, and the expression of HIF-1α/VEGF pathway proteins of human hepatoma cell HepG2 were significantly decreased in the different concentration of cediranib treatment group (P<0.05), the tumor volume and microvessel formation of tumor tissues in nude mice were significantly reduced (P<0.05). Conclusion Cediranib may inhibit the proliferation, migration and invasion of liver cancer cells by inhibiting HIF-1α/VEGF signaling pathway.