Abstract:Objective:To study the role of 1, 4, 5-trisphosphate inositol ( IP3) and bax gene expression in inhibiting transplanted hepatocellular carcinoma of nude mice by quercetin.
Methods :After animals with hepatocellular carcinoma were treated with quercetin 1mg/kg/d (ip)for 3 weeks, the volume and weight of tumor was measured, and IP3, Bax mRNA, and Bax protein were assayed by IP3-［3H］ Birtrak assay,RT-PCR, and Western blotting, respectively; and compard with coutrol group.
Results:The tumor volume and weight of animals treated with quercetin were lower than those of control［(15.8±10.1) mm3 vs. (52.3±26.5 mm3; (44.8±10.4) mg vs. (91.3±31.4) mg］，IP3 content was lower than that of control［（15.9±2.8）pmol/mg protein vs （35.3±6.6）pmol/mg protein］，Bax mRNA expression was not significantly different between the 2 groups［RI which was the gray degree multiply area of bax / the gray degree multiply area of β-actin (0.64±0.12) vs. (0.56±0.15)］，Bax mRNA expression was higher in group treated with quercetin than that of control［(3.16±0.95) vs. (1.37±0.48)］.
Conclusions:Quercetin can inhibit growth of transplanted hepatocellular carcinoma of nude mice by reducing IP3 production and bax protein expression.