Anticancer effect of S-allyl-L-cysteine via induction of apoptosis in human bladder cancer cells

To examine the anticancer effects of S-allyl-L-cysteine (SAC) in human bladder cancer cells and to identify possible molecular mechanisms, bladder cancer cell lines (HTB5, HTB9, JON, UMUC14, T24, and cisplatin resistant-T24R2) were incubated with SAC, and cell proliferation was measured using the Cell Counting Kit-8 assay and clonogenic assay. Cell cycle and apoptosis were evaluated by flow cytometry. Expression levels of apoptosis- and cell cycle-associated proteins were analyzed by western blotting. Proliferation and colony formation in bladder cancer cells was significantly inhibited by SAC treatment in a dose-dependent manner. SAC treatment significantly enhanced apoptosis and promoted a cell cycle arrest in the S phase. SAC also increased the expression of apoptosis-related genes, including caspases, poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase and cytochrome c. SAC had an anticancer effect on bladder cancer cells in vitro, at least partially, through the induction of apoptosis and a cell cycle arrest. SAC is a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of bladder cancer.

Oncology letters. 2017 Oct 26 [Epub]

Jin-Nyoung Ho, Minyong Kang, Sangchul Lee, Jong Jin Oh, Sung Kyu Hong, Sang Eun Lee, Seok-Soo Byun

Department of Urology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam-si, Gyunggi-do 463-707, Republic of Korea., Department of Urology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul 135-710, Republic of Korea.