Thymoquinone has pro-apoptotic and anti-metastatic effects on stomach cancer cell line. - GreenMedInfo Summary
Thymoquinone Effects on Cell Viability, Apoptosis and VEGF-A Gene Expression Level in AGS(CRL-1739) Cell Line.
Anticancer Agents Med Chem. 2019 Feb 6. Epub 2019 Feb 6. PMID: 30727919
Mohsen Rashid
BACKGROUND: Cancer is one of the most fatal diseases across the world and it was reported that 90% of a cancer's fatality depends on its angiogenesis potential. Black seed or Nigella sativa L. is a medicinal plant native to southwest Asia. N. sativa has been used for medicinal purposes for centuries and predominantly has bioactive components like Thymoquinone, which is used as a candidate for anti-cancer and anti-angiogenesis drugs.
METHODS: Callus was induced from leaf tissue after that alcoholic extracts were prepared from three-month-old calluses. Thymoquinone content was measured by HPLC methods. AGS cell line was cultured and treated with standard Thymoquinone and extracts from callus. Then, cell proliferation, expression of angiogenic factor (VEGF-A gene), and apoptosis test were done respectively by MTT assay, real time PCR and Annexin-v kit.
RESULTS: HPLC found the maximum amount of Thymoquinone in extract of leaf calluses, which was grown in the dark. MTT assay revealed that particular doses of extracts reduced cell proliferation. Real-time and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) results demonstrated that standard Thymoquinone and callus extracts down-regulated the VEGF-A gene expression, and all three induced apoptosis in the AGS cell line.
CONCLUSION: It is shown that TQ has pro-apoptotic and anti-metastatic effects on stomach cancer cell line, these properties can introduce it as an anti-cancer drug in the near future.
