Antitumor Effects of Oxaliplatin on Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma SMMC7721 Cells in vitro

Objective To investigate the effects of oxaliplatin on the proliferation and apoptosis of the human hepatocelluar carcinoma SMMC7721 cells and to study its mechanisms. Methods SMMC7721 cells were treated with different concentrations of oxaliplatin.The inhibition of SMMC7721 cells proliferation was estimated by MTT assay,alteration of cell cycle and apoptosis were analyzed using flow cytometry. Morphologic changes were observed using Hoechst33258. The activities of caspase -3,caspase-8 and caspase-9 were determined by spectrophotometry. Results Oxaliplatin was able to inhibit the proliferation of SMMC7721 cells and the inhibition depended on the exposure time and dose. Marked morphological change of cell apoptosis was observed by Hoechst33258 staining. The analysis of cell cycle indicated that oxaliplatin blocked cells at S phase and subG1 cell peak. The activities of cas-pase-3 and caspase-9 were upregulated in the experimental group compared with those in the control group (P0. 05). On the other hand ,the activity of caspase-8 was not significantly different between the experimental group and the control group (P 0.05). Conclusion Oxaliplatin can effectively induce SMMC7721 cell apoptosis by activating the intrinsic apoptosis pathway.