Differentiation of human gastric adenocarcinoma cell line MGc80-3 induced by verbascoside.

Verbascoside is a natural antioxidant extracted from Pedicularis striata Pall (Jueyehesen). After being treated with 20 mumol/l verbascoside, the growth curve and mitotic index of human gastric adenocarcinoma MGc80-3 cells decreased remarkably, cell doubling time was delayed, the cellular growth inhibitory rate amounted to 53.2%, cell surface charge assayed by cell electrophoresis obviously changed, the electrophoresis rate dropped from 3.51 microns/s/v/cm to 2.74, i.e., the percent of retardation reached 28.4%. There was a 75% decrease of the tumorigenicity for the treated cells compared with the untreated cells inoculated subcutaneously in BALB/C nude mice. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that the microvilli on the surface of treated cells had been reduced obviously. It confirmed that verbascoside, similar to DMSO, could reverse MGc80-3 cells' malignant phenotypic characteristics and induced redifferentiation of MGc80-3 cells.