Abstract: Objective To analyze the effects of 4-amino-2-trifluoromethyl phenyl retinate(ATPR) on gastric cancer cell line MGC80-3. Methods Cell proliferation was assessed by MTT assay before and after the treatment with ATPR. The morphologic changes were observed after Giemsa under inverted phase contrast microscope. The activity of enzyme ALP and LDH was detected by ultraviolet spectrophotometer. The cell cycle was analyzed by flow cytometry. RT-PCR was used to analyze the expression of RARα mRNA after the treatment with ATPR. Results ATPR had inhibitory effects on the proliferation ability of MGC80-3. It promoted the growth differentiation. The growth of MGC80-3 cells was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner after the treatment with ATPR. The cell morphology differentiated into normal cells. It can cause the decrease of the activity of ALP and LDH. In addition, the number of G0/G1 phase was increased, and the S phase was decreased, the cell growth was inhibited in G0/G1 phase. The expression of RARα was increased. Conclusion ATPR had inhibitory effects on the proliferation of MGC80-3 cells and could induce its differentiation to normal cells, the mechanism of which might be related to the up-regulation of RARα mRNA.

Key words: retinoic acid, gastric cancer, proliferation, differentiation