OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of bafilomycin A1 (BAF) on the cell proliferation, invasiveness, apoptosis, and oxaliplatin sensitivity in gastric cancer MGC-803 cells.

METHODSMGC-803 cells were divided into control group, BAF group, oxaliplatin group, and BAFµ oxaliplatin group. MTT assay and plate clone formation assay were used to assess the viability and colony forming ability of the cells after the treatments. The expression of nucleosomes in the cells was examined with ELISA. The cell migration and invasion after the treatments were evaluated. Western blotting was performed to detect the expression of Bcl-2 and Bax in the treated cells, and scanning electron microscopy, immunohistochemistry and Western blotting were employed to to observe the cell autophagy.

RESULTSCompared with the control cells, the cells treated with BAF showed a substantial decrease in autophagosome accumulation with attenuated cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Compared with cells treated with oxaliplatin alone, the cells treated with both BAF and oxaliplatin showed significantly lowered autophagosome accumulation, suppressed cell proliferation, migration and invasion, increased cell apoptosis, increased Bax expression and lowered Bcl-2 expression.

CONCLUSIONBAF can inhibit the proliferation and invasiveness of MGC-803 cells, promote cell apoptosis by inhibiting autophagy, and enhances the sensitivity of the cells to oxaliplatin.