Study of apoptosis in human liver cancers.

AIM To investigate the action of apoptosis in occurrence of liver carcinomas in vivo and the biological effect of Solanum lyratum Thumb on BEL-7404 cell line inducing apoptosis in vivo. METHODS The apoptosis in the liver carcinoma was detected with terminal deoxynucl neotidyl transferase mediated dUTP nick end labelling (TUNEL); the cancer cells cultured in DMED medium were treated with extract of Solanum lyratum Thumb and observed under microscope, and their DNA was assayed by gel electrophoresis. RESULTS In vivo apoptotic cells in the cancer adjacent tissues inceased; in vivo treatment of liver cancers with extract of Solanum lyratum Thumb could induce the cells to manifest a typical apoptotic morphology. Their DNA was fractured and a characteristic ladder pattern could be found using electrophoresis. CONCLUSION In vivo the apoptosis of carcinomas was lower; maybe the cells divided quickly and then the cancers occurred. In the cancer adjacent tissues,the apoptosis pricked up, and in vivo Solanum lyratum Thumb could induce the apoptosis of BEL-7404 cells.