An experimental study on UDCA-selectively induced apoptosis and inhibited proliferation to human hepatoma cell lines

PurposeTo investigate the effect of inducing apoptosis and inhibiting proliferation on hepatoma cell lines by UDCA, and mechanisms of the action. MethodsUDCA effect of cell proliferation, apoptosis, cell cycle and the expression of Bax/bcl-2 genes on two human hepatoma cell lines HepG2 and BEL7402, and normal human hepatic cell line L-02 in vitro was detected by MTT assay, flow cytometry, TUNEL assay,Wright-Giemsa staining, electron microscopy and immunocytochemistry.ResultsUDCA could strongly inhibit the proliferation, induce apoptosis, arrest cell cycle to S phase, down-regulate bcl-2 and up-regulate Bax gene expression of HepG2 and BEL7402 cell lines. The IC_(50) to HepG2 and BEL7402 were 0.92,(0.86) mmol/L, respectively. The apoptosis rates (UDCA/1.0mmol/L)of HepG2 and BEL7402 were 42% and 44%, respectively, the rates were significantly higher than those of L-02 (P0.01). UDCA had no obvious effect on L-02 cell line.ConclusionUDCA maybe selectively inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis of HepG2 and BEL7402 cell lines by blocking cell cycle and regulating the expression of Bax/bcl-2 genes.