Effect of genistein on apoptosis of lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells and expression of apoptosis factors.

PURPOSE

To investigate the effect of genistein (GEN) on the apoptosis of lung adenocarcinoma cells and the expression of Bcl-2 and Bax, so as to screen effective antitumor drugs for the clinical treatment of lung adenocarcinoma.

METHODS

Lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells were cultured in vitro and treated with different concentrations of GEN. The untreated cells were set as control group. MTT assay and Annexin V/PI double staining were used to analyze cell proliferation and apoptosis after GEN treatment. RT-qPCR and Western blot were used to detect the expression of Bcl-2 and Bax at mRNA and protein levels, respectively.

RESULTS

Cell p roliferation a ssay s howed t hat GEN c ould inhibit the proliferation of lung adenocarcinoma cell line A549 in vitro in a dose-dependent manner. Cell apoptosis assay showed that, compared with the control group, the apoptotic rate of A549 cells was significantly increased after GEN treatment. RT-qPCR and Western blot showed that the expression levels of anti-apoptotic factor Bcl-2 in A549 cells were significantly decreased at both mRNA and protein levels at 48 hrs after treatment with GEN, but the levels of pro-apoptotic Bax were significantly increased at both mRNA and protein levels.

CONCLUSION

GEN can inhibit the proliferation of A549 lung adenocarcinoma cells in vitro and induce their apoptosis. The antitumor activity of GEN is achieved by downregulating Bcl-2 and upregulating Bax. Therefore, GEN can be applied to the clinical treatment of lung adenocarcinoma.