[Study on the apoptosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell line administrated with Sarcandra glabra extracts in vivo and its mechanism].

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effect of Sarcandra glabra extracts on anti-tumor and apoptosis of implanted human nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell lines in nude mice.

METHODS

Models of CNE1 and CNE2 xenograft in nude mice were established to investigate the anti-tumor effect of Sarcandra glabra. The apoptosis of CNE1 and CNE2 cells were observed with TUNEL and FACS with PI-staining. The ultra micro-structured changes of CNE1 and CNE2 cells were observed by transmission electron microscope. The expression of Bcl-2 and Bax of xenografts were investigated by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS

The Sarcandra glabra extracts significantly inhibited the growth of tumor when compared with normal control group. The expression of Bcl-2 was lower (P<0.01) and the expression of Bax of the Sarcandra glabra group was higher(P<0.01) than that of normal control group. The rate of cell apoptosis exhibiting was higher than that of normal control group(P<0.01). Electron microscopy indicated the apoptosis of tumor cells with marginal nuclei, chromatin condensation and nuclei fragmentation, and apoptotic bodies were observed.

CONCLUSION

Sarcandra glabra suppresses the growth of tumor in vivo. The mechanism is associated with down-regulating the expression of Bcl-2 and up-regulating the expression of Bax to promote apoptosis.