The Study Of Mechanism About Elemene Antitumor Avtivity On Glioma Cell

OBJECTIVE: Elemene (Lanxiangxi), derived from herb (Rhizcrra Zeccariae) used in Chinese medicine, has shown to exhibit antitumor activity, but the antitumor mechanism is not very clear. Therefore our study tried to discuss the antitumor avtivity of Elemene from cellular and molecular level on glioma cell.METHOD: The human glioma cell U251 were cultured. The effect of elemene on hunman glioma cell proliferation were studied by MTT assay. Cell cycle, fas, PCNA, bcl-2, intracellular Ca2+ and apoptosis were evaluated by flow cytometry analysis.RESULT: Elemene exhibited a marked antiproliferative effect on human glioma cell U251. the fifty percent inhibit on concentration (IC50) of Elemene against glioma cells at different time points 24hs, 48hs and 72hs, were 40.60μg/ml, 38.14μg/ml, and 34.35μg/ml. Cell cycle was blocked in the S and G2/M phases. The apoptosis ratio were markedly increased by Annexin V staining. Elemene decreased the gene expressions of PCNA and Fas, increased the intracellular Ca2+. There was no significant effect on the bcl-2 gene expression.CONCLUSION: Elemene exhibited a marked antiproliferative effect on glioma cells, and induced apoptosis by decreasing the expression of PCNA and increasing intracellular Ca2+. It also influenced the expression of Fas. It might have no relationship with bcl-2 gene expression.