DNA methyltransferase inhibitor zebularine inhibits human hepatic carcinoma cells proliferation and induces apoptosis.

ABSTRACT: Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the most common cancers in world wide. During tumorigenesis, tumor suppressor and cancer-related genes are commonly silenced by aberrant DNA methylation in their promoter regions. Zebularine [1-(β-ᴅ-ribofuranosyl)-1,2-dihydropyrimidin-2-one] acts as an inhibitor of DNA methylation and exhibits chemical stability and minimal cytotoxicity both in vitro and in vivo. In this study, we explore the effect and possible mechanism of action of zebularine on hepatocellular carcinoma cell line HepG2. Here, we demonstrated that zebularine exhibited antitumor activity on HepG2 cells by inhibiting cell proliferation and inducing apoptosis. Zebularine treatment down-regulated CDK2 and phosphorylation of retinoblastoma protein (RB), and up-regulated p21WAF/CIP1 and p53.

ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens

SUBMITTER: Kazuhiko Nakabayashi 

PROVIDER: E-GEOD-42490 | biostudies-arrayexpress |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-arrayexpress