Objective: To investigate the effects of mifepristone on cell proliferation and hCG secretion of human choriocarcinoma cell line JAR and the cytotoxic effects of mifepristone on this cell line.
Methods: The cytotoxic effects of four different concentration of mifepristone (1,5,10,20 mumol/L) were assessed with methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) colorimetric assay. The expression of nuclear proliferative antigen Ki-67 and the amount of hCG secreation in JAR cells were detected with avidin-biotin complex method, immuno-histochemical method and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) respectively.
Results: There were dose-dependent cytotoxic effects on JAR cells in four different concentrations of mifepristone. This effect plateaued at 20 mumol/L. When the JAR cells were exposed to 5 mumol/L mifepristone for 72 h, the expression of Ki-67 antigen was declined and the amount of hCG secretion was decreased significantly at the third day.
Conclusion: In vitro, mifepristone has cytostatic and cytotoxic effects on JAR cell line and may inhibit the secretion of hCG in JAR cells.