[Ursodeoxycholic acid induced apoptosis of human hepatoma cells HepG2 and SMMC-7721 bymitochondrial-mediated pathway].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effects and underlying mechanisms of ursodeoxycholic acid on human hepatoma cells. METHODS: HepG2 and SMMC-7721 HCC cell lines were respectively treated with ursodeoxycholic acid. And cell proliferation, apoptosis and the expression of Bax/Bcl-2 gene were detected by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT), inverted microscopy, fluorescent microscopy, flow cytometry and Western blot. RESULTS: Ursodeoxycholic acid significantly inhibited the proliferation of human hepatoma cells in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. The half maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC50) of HepG2 and SMMC-7721 were 397.3 and 387.7 µg/ml respectively after a 48-hour treatment of 400 µg /ml ursodeoxycholic acid. And it also induced the apoptosis of HepG2 and SMMC-7721 cells, up-regulated Bax gene and down-regulated Bcl-2 gene. CONCLUSION: Ursodeoxycholic acid inhibits the proliferation of hepatoma cells and induce apoptosis by mitochondrial-mediated pathway.