Inhibitory effect of matrine on human lung carcinoma A549 cells

Objective To explore the inhibitory effect of matrine on human lung carcinoma A549 cells in vitro and its mechanism.Methods A549 cells were treated with different concentrations of matrine solution for 24,48 and 72 h,respectively.MTT assay was used to evaluate the cytotoxic effect of martrine on A549 cells.The apoptosis and cell cycle distribution of A549 cells were detected by flow cytometry and telomerase activity was determined by TRAP-ELISA methods.Results With the increase of the concentration of matrine solution and the duration of administration,the cytotoxic effect of matrine was elevated(P 0.01).The apoptosis rate was 3.2%,9.5%,13.4%,and 17.6%when A549 cells were treated with matrine solution at 0.5,1.0,1.5,and 2.0 mg/mL,respectively.The proportion of cells in G0/G1 phase was obviously increased whereas that in G2/S phase was decreased.Telomerase activity was reduced in a time-and dose-dependent manner.Conclusion Martrine can inhibit the proliferation of A549 cells in vitro by inhibiting telomerase activity and inducing apoptosis.