[Effects of rhein on gastric cancer cells HGC-27 apoptosis and its mechanisms].

Objective: To investigate the effects of rhein on proliferation and apoptosis of gastric cancer cell line HGC-27 and its related mechanisms.
Methods: Human gastric cancer cells HGC-27 were treated with 0, 5, 10 or 20 mg/L rhein respectively for 24, 48 and 72 h in vitro, three duplicate wells were set in each group. The proliferation activity of HGC-27 cells was detected with CCK-8 method, the growth status of HGC-27 cells was observed by small high-content microscope, hoechst staining was used to analyze the karyotype of HGC-27 cells. Mitochondrial membrane potential was detected by JC-1 staining and flow cytometry, cell cycle was analyzed with flow cytometry, the levels of mRNA transcribing of bcl-2, bax, caspase-3, jak1, jak2, stat3 and notch genes were investigated with RT-qPCR method. Protein expressions were determined by Western blot.
Results: Compared with HGC-27 cells treated with 0 mg/L rhein, HGC-27 cells treated with 5, 10 and 20 mg/L rhein for 24 h showed decreased mitochondrial membrane potential ( P ＜0.01), the cell proliferation activity was inhibited and apoptosis was induced. The effects were enhanced with the increase of rhein concentration and the extension of treatment time, but the cell cycle did not change significantly, and the expressions of bcl-2, jak1, jak2, stat3 and notch genes were down-regulated. The expression levels of bax and caspase-3 genes were increased significantly ( P ＜0.01).
Conclusion: Rhein can induce apoptosis of HGC-27 cells by influencing NOTCH/JAK/STAT signaling pathway, and has anti-gastric cancer effect.