Effect of berberine on activity and mRNA expression of N-acetyltransferase in human lung cancer cell line A549.

OBJECTIVE To study the effects of berberine on activity and mRNA expression of N-acetyltransferase in human lung cancer cell line A549. METHODS N-acetyltransferase antibodies were prepared. The human lung cancer A549 cells were cultivated randomly in the wells of culture plate, and divided into the control group, and berberine 0.0008, 0.008, 0.08, 0.8 and 1.6 mM treatment groups, with 3 wells for each group. 24 h later, A549 cells in each group were collected respectively, the content of N-acetyltransferase was detected by Flow cytometry, and the mRNA expression of N-acetyltransferase was observed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS The N-acetyltransferase content in human lung cancer A549 cells decreased with the increasing of berberine concentration, significantly lower than that in the control group (P < 0.05 or P < 0.001); and the mRNA expression of N-acetyltransferase also decreased with the increasing of berberine concentration, significantly lower in Huangliansu treatment groups (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION Berberine can inhibit the activity of N-acetyltransferase in human lung cancer cell line A549, and shows negative correlations of dose and time in a certain extent. The inhibited gene expression of N-acetyltransferase in human lung cancer A549 cell may probably represent one of the mechanisms for its antineoplastic effect.