OBJECTIVEThis study aimed at investigating the effects of vitamin D analogue EB1089 on the proliferation and apoptosis of hepatic carcinoma cells.

METHODSHepatic carcinoma cell strain G(2) (Hep-G(2)) in which prominent vitamin D receptor (VDR) mRNA could be expressed and the cell strain T (HCC-T) negative in VDR gene expression were incubated in culture media with 100 nmol/L, 10 nmol/L and 1 nmol/L EB1089 for 2 d, 4 d and 6 d, respectively. Survival and proliferation of the cells were detected by blue tetrazolium colorimetric test and plate clone-forming test, the VDR mRNA expression was determined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and apoptosis of the cells was detected by flow cytometry (FCM) and electron microscopy.

RESULTSEB1089 could inhibit the proliferation of hepatocellular cell line Hep-G(2) that expressed prominent vitamin D receptor mRNA, the inhibitory rate is 17.5% approximately 72.1%. On the other hand, EB1089 had no anti-proliferative effect on hepatocellular cell line HCC-T in which the gene expression of vitamin D receptors was negative. The electron microscope results showed that EB1089 could induce apoptosis of hepatocarcinoma cells and the percentages of apoptotic cells measured by flow cytometer was 21.4%. Cell cycle progression was blocked at G(1) phase with EB1089.

CONCLUSIONEB1089 could inhibit proliferation of human Hep-G(2), probably through VDR, and induce apoptosis of the cells.