Abstract: BACKGROUND AND AIM: Effects of tanshinoneⅡA (TanⅡA) on proliferation and apoptosis of the human gastric cancer cell line BGC_823 were studied. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The inhibitory effect on proliferation of BGC_823 cells was evaluated in vitro by using MTT colorimetric assay after cells were treated with TanⅡA at various concentrations (0－10 μg/ml) for 48 h and 72 h. Cell apoptosis was analyzed by HE staining, DNA agarose gel electrophoresis and flow cytometry after BGC_823 cells were treated with 2, 5, 10 μg/ml TanⅡA for 72 h. RESULTS: TanⅡA inhibited the proliferation of BGC_823 cell markedly. The typical morphological features indicative of apoptotic state were seen under the light microscope. The DNA ladder was generated after treatment with TanⅡA at the concentrations of 5 and 10 μg/ml.The apoptotic rates were (20.60±1.84)％ and (31.03±1.47)％ in BGC_823 cells treated with 5, 10 μg/ml of TanⅡA, respectively. There was marked difference compared with the control group whose apoptotic rate was (5.23±0.39)％. CONCLUSION: TanⅡA could inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis of human gastric cancer cell line BGC_823 in this test.

Key words: TanshinoneⅡA, human gastric cancer cell line BGC_823, apoptosis