[18β-glycyrrhetinic acid piperazine derivative A30 inhibits the proliferation of SMMC-7721 hepatoma cells].

Objective To investigate the mechanism of 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid (GA) piperazine derivative A30 on the antiproliferation of hepatocellular carcinoma SMMC-7721 cells in vitro. Methods The experiment included three groups: control group, 18β-GA group and A30 group. The proliferation activity was detected by MTT assay. Cell apoptosis and the change in the cycle of SMMC-7721 cells were evaluated by flow cytometry. Western blotting was used to observe the expressions of Bcl2 and caspase-8. Results The proliferation of SMMC-7721 cells was inhibited by A30 at the concentration of 2-128 μg/mL in a dose-dependent manner. 18β-GA and A30 could induce the apoptosis of SMMC-7721 cells, and the apoptosis rate of A30 group was significantly higher than that of the 18β-GA group. In the cell cycle analysis, the G2/M phase cells of 18β-GA and A30 groups increased remarkably as compared with the control group. A30 and 18β-GA could significantly enhance the expression of caspase-8, and decreased the expression of Bcl2. Conclusion The 18β-GA piperazine derivative A30 can inhibit the proliferation of SMMC-7721 cells in vitro, and the inhibitory effect is stronger than that of 18β-GA. The mechanism may be related to the inhibition of intracellular Bcl2 protein expression and the enhancement of caspase-8 expression.