Objective: To investigate the effects and mechanism of TNBG on the proliferation and apoptosis of human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line QGY-7701.
Methods: The 3H-TdR incorporation and MTT assay were used to test the effects of anti-proliferation and cytotoxicity respectively, the morphological changes of the cancer cells were examined under light and electron microscopes. The Flow cytometric analysis was performed to detect the cell cycle distribution and apoptosis.
Results: Marked anti- proliferation effect was observed after intervention of 2 microg/ml TNBG for 24 hours,and TNBG killed the cells in concentrition- and time-dependent manners. A lot of lipid droplets accumulated at the cytoplasm under light microscopy, and were confirmed by electron microscopy. Furthermore,the cells showed G2/M arrest and apoptosis.
Conclusion: The above findings indicate that TNBG inhibits proliferation of tumor cells, induces apoptosis of tumor cells, and thus produces its antitumor effect.