[Effect of elemene on reversing chemoresistance to adriamycin in human stomach cancer cell line].

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of elemene on reversing chemoresistance to adriamycin (ADM) in human stomach cancer cell, and explore its possible mechanism. METHODS: SGC7901/ADM were divided imto two groups control group and elemene treatment group. The cytotoxicity of ADM on SGC7901/ADM was determined by MTT assay. The activity of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappaB) was measured by immunohistochemical staining. The apoptosis rate of stomach cancer cell line was determined by flow cyotometric analysis. RESULTS: The immunohistochemical staining result showed that the activity of NF-kappaB in SGC7901/ADM was increased after treated with ADM for 9 - 12 h, while that of the elemene treatment group decreased with the increasing of the elemene concentration and the lowest level was 8 - 12%. The apoptosis rate of SGC7901/ADM stomach cancer cell line was increased with the increasing of elemene concentration. At the same elemene concentration, the apoptosis rate increased with ADM treatment time prolonged. MTT result showed that the non-cytotoxic dose of elemene had synergistic effect on rilling SGC7901/ADM stomach cancer cell line and was in a dose-dependant manner. CONCLUSION: The inhibitory effect of elemene on reversing chemoresistance to ADM in human stomach cancer cell line maybe related to inhibiting NF-kappaB activity.