Carcinogenesis, Teratogenesis & Mutagenesis

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Vitamin E succinate induced protective autophagy in human gastric cancer cells SGC-7901 via the Akt/mTOR signaling pathway

HOU Li-ying1SUN Yan-pei1,ZHANG Xu-guang12,ZHAO Dong1,WU Kun1,*   

  1. (1. Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081; 2. Department of Cardiac Surgery, Harbin Children’s Hospital, Harbin 150010, Heilongjiang, China)
     
  • Received:2013-03-14 Revised:2013-05-02 Online:2013-09-30 Published:2013-09-30
  • Contact: WU Kun,E-mail:wukun_15000@126.com

Abstract:

 OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether vitamin E succinate (VES) could induce autophagy in SGC-7901,and to explore the role of autophagy in cell proliferation inhibited by the VES. METHODS:Human gastric cancer cells SGC-7901 were treated with VES. Electron microscopy was used to study autophagosome morphology,and fluorescence microscopy for intracellular punctuate fluorescence of green fluorescence protein-LC3 (GFP-LC3). Western blot evaluated the level of autophagy marker protein LC3,and the activities of Akt and mTOR,the critical targets of Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. SGC-7901 cells were pre-treated with autophagy inhibitor,chloroquine (CQ) and 3-methyladenine (3-MA),then we used MTT to detect the suppression of cell growth. RESULTS:Typical autophagic vesicles and autolysosome in VES treatment groups were identified. With increasing doses of VES,the punctuate fluorescence began to gather and intensity. LC3-II protein levels increased in cells treated with VES,suggested that VES may probably induce autophagy in SGC-7901. VES down-regulated the activities of the phosphory-Akt and phosphory-mTOR,suggested that the activity of Akt/mTOR signaling pathway was inhibited by VES. Combined action of VES+CQ group and VES+3-MA group significately suppressed cell growth compared with VES alone (P<0.05). When autophagy was inhibited ,the rate of cell proliferation was greatly reduced,suggesting that VES- induced autophagy had a protective effect on cell proliferation. CONCLUSION:Vitamin E succinate induced protective autophagy in human gastric cancer cells SGC-7901 via the Akt/mTOR signaling pathway.

Key words: vitamin E succinate, SGC-7901 gastric cancer cells, autophagy