OBJECTIVETo investigate the antiproliferation effect of cardamonin (CAR) and its possible mechanisms on human umbilical artery smooth muscle cells (HUASMCs) cultured in the mimicking insulin resistance (IR) medium.

METHODProliferation of HUASMCs was assayed by MTT method. The mRNA expression of mTOR, Raptor and Rictor was detected by a real-time PCR. The expression content was calculated by Livak method using internal control of beta-actin.

RESULTThe proliferation of HUASMCs cultured in the mimicking IR medium was significantly increased. Both in normal and mimic IR culture medium, cells proliferation was inhibited by CAR (1 x 10(-5), 1 x 10(-4) mol x L(-1)). Pretreated with PD98059 and LY294002, cell proliferation induced by phosphatidic acid (PA) was inhibited, and the mRNA expression of mTOR, Raptor and Rictor was significantly decreased by CAR in the mimic IR medium.

CONCLUSIONIt is implicated that antiproliferation of CAR is involved in mRNA expression decrease of mTOR and its relative protein Raptor and Rictor.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing ; genetics ; metabolism ; Carrier Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Chalcones ; pharmacology ; Gene Expression Regulation ; drug effects ; Growth Inhibitors ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; Rapamycin-Insensitive Companion of mTOR Protein ; Regulatory-Associated Protein of mTOR ; TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases ; genetics ; metabolism