[Glycyrrhetinic acid induces apoptosis and alters survivin gene expression in human myeloma cell line U266].

This study was aimed to investigate the effects of glycyrrhetinic acid (GA) on proliferation, apoptosis and survivin mRNA expression in human myeloma cell line U266 in vitro. Cell proliferation was assayed by MTT method. Both cell apoptosis and cell distribution in cell cycle were analyzed by using flow cytometry. Scanning electron microscopy was used to observe the morphological changes in U266 cells induced by GA. Expression of survivin mRNA was detected by quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. The results showed that GA inhibited proliferation of U266 cells in a time- and dose-dependent manners in vitro. GA presented apoptosis induction potency to U266 cells, obvious changes in morphology of U266 cells was observed under scanning electron microscope. The cells were arrested at the G(0)/G(1) phase, showing the accumulation in G(0)/G(1) phase, reduction of cells in G(2)/M phase and S phase. GA could down-regulate the expression of survivin gene in U266 cells in a dose-dependent manner. It is concluded that GA can inhibit proliferation of U266 cells in a time- and dose-dependent manners and induce apoptosis of this cell line in vitro through arresting G(0)/G(1) phase and down-regulating expression of survivin.