[Effect of seaweed pigment glycoprotein on the expression of PCNA and Bcl-2 protein in hepatocarcinoma cells in mice].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of seaweed pigment glycoprotein (SPG) on the expression of PCNA and Bcl-2 protein in hepatocarcinoma cells in mice. METHODS: Fifty mice inoculated with hepatocarcinoma cells were divided into five groups, 10 mice in each group. SPG was given by gavage at the dosage of 100, 50 and 10 mg/kg everyday to high, medium and low dose group respectively, normal saline was given orally to tumor control group, and cyclophosphamide 20 mg/kg was injected to the cylophosphamide group every the other day, all mice were sacrificed 10 days later. The proliferation activity of hepatocarcinoma cells was determined by MTT assay, and the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and Bcl-2 protein were measured by immunohistochemical method. RESULTS: The cell proliferation activity expressed by the optical density of the high-dose group and tumor control group were 0.711 +/- 0.028 and 1.135 +/- 0.032 respectively (P < 0.05). The expression of PCNA and Bcl-2 protein in high-dose group was 28.32% and 16.78% respectively, and that in tumor control group was 72.78% and 65.16% respectively (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The proliferation activity of hepatocarcinoma cells in mice could be reduced and the expression of PCNA and Bcl-2 protein could be inhibited by SPG.