Inhibitory effect of geinistein on apoptosis in hUVECs induced by MCP-1

AIM: To study the inhibitory effect of genistein on apoptosis in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (hUVECs) induced by monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1). METHODS: The hUVECs were cultured in vitro and identified. Growth-arrested hUVECs were stimulated with genistein at different concentrations (0.1 μmol, 1.0 μmol, 10 μmol, 100 μmol) and co-treated with MCP-1 (10 μg/L). The survival rates of hUVECs were detected by MTT assay. The cell cycle and DNA content were detected by flow cytometry. To explore the possible mechanism of the genistein interventions, the expressions of Bcl-2, Fas and Bax proteins were detected by flow cytometry and Western blotting.RESULTS: Genistein increased the survival rate and the level of Bcl-2, inhibited Fas and Bax, decreased the ratios of apoptosis compared with MCP-1-induced hUVECs apoptotic group in a dose-dependent-manner. CONCLUSION: Genistein inhibits the apoptosis induced by MCP-1 and the inhibitory effect was relative to the dose of genistein. Its mechanism might be involved in the down-regulation of Fas and Bax expressions and the up-regulation of Bcl-2.