OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of betulinic acid (BA) on the proliferation, migration, apoptosis and cell cycle of pancreatic cancer cells (BxPC-3) in vitro and elucidate the underlying.

METHODThe effect of BA on the proliferation of BxPC-3 was measured by using sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay. Migratory ability of BxPC3 cells were detected by wound healing assay, and the morphological change was observed with light microscope. The influence of BA on cell cycle of BxPC-3 cells was tested by flow cytometry (FCM). Apoptosis was analyzed by using Hochest33342-PI double staining. Western blot technologies were applied to detect the expression of Bcl-2 and Bax.

RESULTBA exhibited significant cell proliferation and migration inhibition, as well as its potency of inducing apoptosis in BxPC-3 cells in vitro in a dose-dependent manner. The IC50 value for 72 h was 16.54 mg x L(-1). Cell migration was significantly inhibited at 5 mg x L(-1) of BA. Cells treated with BA showed increased cell population in G0 phase, with decreased G2/M phase population. The expression of Bax and Bcl-2 was up and down-regulated respectively in BA-treated BxPC-3 cells in a dose-dependent manner.

CONCLUSIONBA exerted potent effect on growth inhibition, G0 cell cycle arrest and induction of apoptosis in BxPC-3 cells in vitro, possibly associated with the down-regulation of Bcl-2 and up-regulation of Bax expression. The potent antitumor capacity of BA suggested that it could be a promising new anticancer agent in human pancreatic cancer treatment.

Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Cell Cycle ; drug effects ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Movement ; drug effects ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; drug effects ; Humans ; Pancreatic Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; genetics ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Triterpenes ; pharmacology ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein ; genetics ; metabolism

Objective:To investigate the regression of regional lymph nodes after administering neoadjuvant short-course chemoradiother-apy combined with immunotherapy in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer(LARC).Methods:This retrospective study analyzed the clinical data of 40 patients with LARC admitted to Zhongshan Hospital Affiliated to Xiamen University(32 cases)and the Union Hospital,Tongji Medical College,Huazhong University of Science and Technology(8 cases)between January 2021 and December 2022.The control and experimental groups consisted of 20 patients who underwent direct laparoscopic surgery and neoadjuvant short-course chemoradio-therapy combined with immunotherapy prior to the laparoscopic surgery,respectively.The detection of the postoperative lymph node was compared between the two groups.In addition,the pathologic complete response(pCR)rate of the primary tumor and regional lymph nodes in the experimental group was assessed.Results:The number of patients with N downstaging(18 vs.7,P<0.001)significantly in-creased,whereas the positive lymph node metastasis rate(1.4%vs.19.1%,P<0.001)and number of patients with positive lymph nodes(4 vs.16,P<0.001)significantly decreased in the experimental group compared to those in the control group.Although the number of detected lymph nodes in the experimental group was slightly lower compared to that in the control group(18.3±8.7 vs.20.4±6.5,P=0.392),it was not statistically different.Furthermore,the pCR rate of the regional lymph nodes was significantly higher than that of the primary tumor in the experimental group(80%vs.30%,P=0.001).Conclusions:Neoadjuvant short-course chemoradiotherapy combined with immunotherapy caused significant pathological remission of positive lymph nodes in patients with LARC.This study hypothesizes that a"spatial effect"con-tributes to the pathological remission of regional lymph nodes in rectal tumors.