The research of the effects of all-trans retinoic acid on the human ovarian cancer cell lines

Objectives: To investigate the mechanism of the inhibitory effects of all trans retinoic acid(ATRA)on the proliferation and induction of differentiation in human ovarian cancer cell lines COC 1 、COC 2 and CAOV 3 in vitro. Methods:Each of the three lines was divided into two groups (blank group and ATRA group). The proliferation of the ovarian cancer cell lines was measured respectively under different drug concentrations by the methodology of tetrazolium based colorimetric assay (MTT assay)and lactate dehydragenase (LDH) levels. Cell cycles were assessed with flow cytometry and morphological changes of the cells were observed under inverted microscopy. Results:ATRA showed the inhibitory effects on the cellular growth and induction of differentiation in all the three line cells in a dose dependent manner within a certain concentration range(ATRA≤30 μmol/L). When the concentration of ATRA increased to 10 μmol/L, the cancer cell population in phase G 0 /G 1 increased, but in G 2 ,M/S reduced and thus proliferation index(PI)was reduced as compared with the blank group. At the concentration of ATRA 30 μmol/L, the growth inhibitory rate of ATRA group for the three line cells was highest. Conclusions:It is suggested in the present study that the ATRA has inhibitory effect on proliferation and induction of differentiation of human ovarian cancer cell in vitro.