Co-regulative effects of the cAMP/PKA and DAG/PKC signal pathways on human gastric cancer cells during differentiation induced by traditional Chinese medicines.

ABSTRACT

AIM: To evaluate the role of cAMP/PKA and DAG/PKC pathways of MGc80-3 cells treated with a traditional Chinese medicine compound, bailong preparation (bailong). METHODS: cAMP level, DAG content and activities of PKA and PKC were measured in different groups control; 1.8 g/L bailong; 1.8 g/L bailong + 20 mg/L PKA inhibitor; and 5 µmol/L PKC inhibitor. RESULTS: When MGc80-3 cells were treated with bailong for 3 h, cAMP level and PKA activity were 113% and 19.7% higher than those of the control, while DAG content and PKC activity were 47.0% and 64.2% lower than those of the control. When the PKC pathway was blocked by PKC inhibitor GF-109203 X, cAMP level and PKA activity were increased by 78.8% and 33.5% compared to inhibitor GF-109203 X, and cAMP level and PKA activity were increased by 78.8% and 33.5% compared to the control, while the DAG content and PKC activity were decreased by 40.3% and 56.3%. When MGc80-3 cells were treated with bailong and PKA inhibitor blocked PKA pathways at the same time, cAMP level and PKA activity were decreased by 46.0% and 28.9%. On the other hand, DAG content and PKC activity were increased by 50.7% and 51.6% compared to the bailong group. CONCLUSION: There is a relationship of cause and effect between differentiation of MGc80-3 cells and the signal pathways. The results of this study are similar to that of hexamethylenebisacetamide (HMBA), suggesting that the two signal systems are the foundation of proliferative regulation of MGc80-3 cells treated with Chinese medicine bailong or HMBA.