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CC BY 4.0 · Chinese medicine and natural products 2024; 04(03): e117-e125
DOI: 10.1055/s-0044-1790538
Original Article

The Chinese Herbal Formula Weichang'an Reduces the Proliferation of Human Gastric Cancer Cells via Mitochondrial Apoptosis

Weixia Chen
1   Department of Oncology, Henan Province Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
2   Department of Oncology, Longhua Hospital Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
,
Yaofei Niu
3   Department of Infection, Henan Provincial People's Hospital; Zhengzhou University People's Hospital, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
,
Bin Chen
4   Department of Oncology, Putuo Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
,
Aiguang Zhao
2   Department of Oncology, Longhua Hospital Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
› Author Affiliations Funding This study was funded by the Three-Year Plan of Action for the Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Shanghai (ZY3-CCCX-3-2003), State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Clinical Research Base of China (JDZX2015068), the Key and Promotion Special Topics of Henan (202102310164), and Henan Province Traditional Chinese Medicine Scientific Research Special Project (2022ZY2031).
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Abstract

Objective The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of Chinese herbal formula Weichang'an (WCA) on the proliferation and mitochondria-mediated apoptosis of human gastric cancer cells.

Methods Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK8) was used to evaluate the antiproliferative activity of WCA on MKN45 cells; Giemsa staining was used to investigate cell colony formation; flow cytometry was used to analyze cell cycle, apoptosis rate, and caspases activation; and Hoechst staining was used to analyze the morphology of cell nuclei. The mitochondrial membrane potential was analyzed by both flow cytometric measurements and fluorescence microscopy. Western blot was used to analyze the protein levels of pro-caspase-3, Bcl-2, Bax, and Bcl-X. MKN45 cells were subcutaneously injected into the right forelimb of 16 nude mice to establish the tumor xenograft model, and a total of 12 nude mouse tumor xenograft models were successfully created. The nude mice were divided into the control group and the WCA-treated group. The two groups received normal saline and WCA treatment at 35.49 g/kg by a single daily oral gavage for 21 days. The body weight and tumor size of the nude mice were measured twice a week. The ultrastructural changes of subcutaneous tumors were observed by a transmission electron microscope.

Results WCA can suppress cell proliferation and colony formation. It can also induce changes in the mitochondrial membrane potential and increase the activities of caspases-3, caspases-8, and caspases-9 in MKN45 cells. WCA induced S-phase arrest and apoptosis in MKN45 cells, and decreased the expression levels of antiapoptotic proteins Bcl-2 and Bcl-X in MKN45 cells, while increasing the expression levels of the proapoptotic proteins Bax and pro-caspase-3 compared with the control group. WCA inhibited the growth of a xenografted MKN45 tumor in nude mice, and the protein levels of Bax and pro-caspase-3 were significantly increased, while Bcl-X and Bcl-2 were reduced compared with the control group. The differences are statistically significant (p < 0.05).

Conclusion WCA could suppress the proliferation of gastric cancer cells via mitochondrial apoptosis.

Keywords

gastric cancer - Chinese herbal formula - Weichang'an - mitochondrial apoptosis

Authors' Contribution

Weixia Chen: contributed to conceptualization, methodology, and writing the original draft of the manuscript. Bin Chen and Aiguang Zhao: contributed to the investigation, funding acquisition, and writing, review, and editing of the manuscript. Yaofei Niu contributed to supervision of the study and data curation.




Publication History

Received: 11 May 2024

Accepted: 22 July 2024

Article published online:
30 September 2024

© 2024. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, permitting unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is properly cited. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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