OBJECTIVETo study the effect drug contained canine serum, prepared by gastric perfusion with Sanchi extract (SE), in inhibiting proliferation and promoting apoptosis of cultured precancerous gastric cells by cell culture.

METHODSThe precancerous model cells (MC) used in the experiment were prepared through transforming eternalized human gastric mucosa epithelial cells GES-1 by N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitroso-guanidine (MNNG). After once gastric perfusion of SE extract to dogs, the canine serum gotten before and at different time points after medication was used for test. The inhibitory effect of the drug serum obtained at different time points on MC after acting for 72 hrs was detected by 3-(4,5)-dimethy thioazol-2-yl-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazoliumbromide (MTT) method to find the optimal time point for drug serum preparation, that were 2 hrs and 6 hrs after medication. Then the cell apoptosis promoting effect after acting for 72 hrs of the drug serum obtained at the optimal time points was determined by flow cytometry.

RESULTSThe drug serum obtained at 2-hr and 6-hr after medication showed the highest inhibitive effect on MC cells, reaching 45.3% and 42.4% respectively, as compared with the effect of blank serum, the difference was significant (P<0.01). They could evidently promote the MC cell apoptosis, the apoptosis rate also showed significant difference to that of the blank serum (P < 0.05). Under their action, the proportion of MC cells in G0/G1 phase was obviously decreased (P < 0.05) while that in the G2/M phase significantly increased (P <0.05). However, the change of cells in S phase was not uniform.

CONCLUSIONThe drug contained canine serum gotten 2 hr and 6 hr after SE feeding shows the optimal MC proliferation inhibitive effect and significant apoptosis promoting effect. Besides, it could significantly decrease the proportion of MC cells in G0/G1 phase and significantly increase that in G2/M phase, this effect might be one of the mechanisms of ES in inhibiting MC cell proliferation and promoting its apoptosis.