Garlic-derived compound S-allylmercaptocysteine (SAMC) is active against anaplastic thyroid cancer cell line 8305C (HPACC).

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Epidemiological and experimental carcinogenesis studies provide evidence that components of garlic have anticancer activity. OBJECTIVE: In this study, the apoptotic effects of Garlic-derived compound S-allylmercaptocysteine (SAMC) were investigated in 8305C human anaplastic thyroid carcinoma cells. METHODS: The cell line 8305C (HPACC) were treated with SAMC and the MTT assay, flow cytometry (FCM), electron microscope method were used to test cell cycle, inhibitory rate and morphologic changes respectively. RESULTS: HPACC-8305C cells were suppressed after exposure to SAMC of 0.02 mg/ml, 0.06 mg/ml, and 0.1 mg/ml for 48 h. Compared with the control, the difference was significant (P< 0.05). SAMC could induce apoptosis of the cells in a dose-dependent and non-linear manner and increase the proportion of cells in the G2/M phase. Compared with the control, the difference was significant in terms of the percentage of cells in the G2/M phase (P< 0.05). After exposure to SAMC at 0.02 mg/ml for 24 hours, HPACC-8305C cells showed typical morphologic change. CONCLUSIONS: SAMC inhibits the growth of HPACC-8305C cells by induction of apoptotic cell death and inhibit telomerase activity, which appears to account for its anti-cancer activity.