Apoptosis induced by arsenic trioxide on bladder cancer BIU-87 cell line in vitro

Objective To study the effect of arsenic trioxide used as chemotheraputic agent on bladder cancer BIU-87 cell.Methods Changes were studied under electron microscopy. The cell growth and proliferation were observed by MTT colorimetric assay and cell-growth curse.The expressions of Bcl-2 and Bax were detected by immunocytochemical method.Results The cell-growth curse revealed that the cell growth was significantly inhibited by the different concentration of arsenic trioxide(18.8μg/ml,37.6μg/ml). Under electron microscope,spines on the surface of the bladder cancer cells decreased. Some chromosome gathered at the margin of cell nuclear. The membrane structures of mitochondrion become obscure. High expression level of Bcl-2 and Bax compared with control were detected in arsenic trioxide-treated cells.Conclusion Arsenic trioxide not only can inhibite proliferation but also induce apoptosis of BIU-87 cells. The induced-apoptosis effect of arsenic trioxide is relative to high expression level of Bax.