Inhibition of growth and increase of alkaline phosphatase activity in cultured human oral cancer cells by all-trans retinoic acid

Inhibition of growth and increase of alkaline phosphatase activity in cultured human oral cancer cells by all-trans retinoic acid
Accepted 11 January 2006
B. Xiao1, J. Guo1, Y. Lou2, D. Meng1, W. Zhao1, L. Zhang1, C. Yan1, D. Wang1
International Journal of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery

Abstract
In this study, the effects of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) on human oral cancer cells with regard to cell growth, the cell cycle, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity were evaluated. Human oral cancer KB cells were treated with various concentrations of ATRA, and cell growth was then determined using the MTT viability assay. The cell-cycle distribution and ALP activity were analysed using a flow cytometer and chemical analyser, respectively. The KB cells were inhibited by ATRA at concentrations of 1Ò16μM (1μM, P<0.05; 2μM, P<0.01; 4, 8 and 16μM, P<0.001) in a dose-dependent manner. ATRA arrested KB cells in the G0/G1 phase. The ALP activity in KB cells was increased by ATRA. This is one of the first studies to focus on the expression of ALP in human head-and-neck carcinoma cells treated with retinoids. These findings suggest that the anti-tumour effects of ATRA on human oral cancer are associated with G0/G1 phase arrest and an increase in ALP activity.

Key words: all-trans-retinoic acid, oral cancer cells, cell growth, alkaline phosphatase, in vitro
1 School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China

2 Ningbo No. 1 Hospital, Ningbo 315010, China

Address: Junming Guo, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China. Tel: +86 574 87600758; Fax: +86 574 87608638.

PII: S0901-5027(06)00037-3

doi:10.1016/j.ijom.2006.01.005

© 2006 International Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Copyright © 2007 Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved

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