Objective: To study the possible apoptosis-inducing effect of arsenic trioxide on human hepatocarcinoma (HCC) cells, and its molecular mechanisms.
Methods: Arsenic trioxide action on the cell growth, apoptosis, periodicity and the expression of related genes in two human hepatocarcinoma cell lines QGY-7701 and QGY-7703, and normal humanhepatic cell line L-02 in vitro was observed by MTT assay, acridine orange (AO) /ethidiumbromide (EB) fluorescent staining, electron microscopy detection, DNA gel electrophoresis, flow cytometry, TUNEL assay and immunohistochemical staining.
Results: Arsenic trioxide could strongly inhibit the growth of human hepatocarcinoma cells QGY-7701 and QGY-7703 with the cell cycle arrested on S phase, and induce the apoptosis of the cells with bcl-2 gene expression down-regulated and bax and Fas gene expression up-regulated. But arsenic trioxide had no obvious effect on the normal hepatic cells.
Conclusion: Arsenic trioxide has significant selective apoptosis-inducing effect on the human hepatocarcinoma cells, which is regulated by several genes. The results provide the credible experimental basis for clinically treating HCC with arsenic trioxide.