OBJECTIVETo explore effects of nordy on biological behaviors of human malignant glioblastoma cell line U87MG in vitro and transplanted tumor in vivo, and to identify the differential proteome upon Nordy induced differentiation.

METHODSGlioblastoma U87MG cells were induced to differentiate by synthetic lipoxygenase inhibitor, Nordy. The drug was also given via peritoneal injection to nude mice (27 mg/kg body weight) bearing orthotopic transplanted tumors of U87MG cells in the brain. The tumor volumes and GFAP expression were measured. Total proteins of U87MG cells after Nordy treatment were analysed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. PDQuest 7.1 computer software was used to compare protein profiles of the treated cells with that of untreated control. Differentially expressed proteins were then selected and characterized by matrix assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight-mass spectrometry. The functional aspects of these proteins were analyzed by bioinformatics.

RESULTSNordy suppressed both the proliferation of U87MG cells in vitro and the tumor growth of orthotopic transplanted tumors in vivo (P < 0.01). The differentially expressed proteins induced by Nordy included proliferation-associated gene A, alternative splicing factor ASF-3, eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A, coffilin 1 (non-muscle), beta galactoside binding lectin, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, enolase 1 and an unknown protein.

CONCLUSIONSNordy promotes the differentiation of glioblastoma cells, by which it may serve as a therapeutic agent. Various proteins identified during Nordy-induced differentiation are involved in the cell proliferation, metabolism, differentiation, apoptosis and gene transcription.