[Effects of gossypol acetic acid on the proliferation and methylation level of the human MutL homologue 1 gene in human tongue carcinoma cell line Tca8113].

OBJECTIVE

This paper aims to study the effects of gossypol acetic acid (GAA) on proliferation and methylation level of human MutL homologue 1 (hMLH1) gene in human tongue cancer cell line Tca8113.

METHODS

The MTT assay was used to determine the effects of the acid on the proliferation inhibition in Tca8113 cells treated with different GAA concentrations. Nested methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (nMSP) was used to detect the change in the methylation level of hMLH1 after 48 and 72 h with 30 and 15 micro mol L(-1) GAA treatment.

RESULTS

MTT assay results showed the growth and proliferation inhibition of Tca8113 cells in the experimental GAA group after 24 h to 72 h of GAA treatment. The nMSP results indicated that the average optical density of hMLH1 in the Tca8113 cells significantly changed after the GAA treatment (30 micro mol L(-1) GAA for 48 h and 15 micro mol L(-1) for 72 h) (P<0.05) compared with that of the control group.

CONCLUSION

GAA does not only inhibit Tca8113 proliferation but also has a demethylation effect on the hMLH1 gene. These phenomena may be part of an underlying tumor-suppression mechanism of GAA.