Effect of a synthetic cannabinoid agonist on the proliferation and invasion of gastric cancer cells

✍ Scribed by Xiang-Shu Xian; Hyeyeon Park; Yu Kyung Cho; In Seok Lee; Sang Woo Kim; Myung-Gyu Choi; In-Sik Chung; Ki-Hwan Han; Jae Myung Park

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2010
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 500 KB
• Volume: 110
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0730-2312
• DOI: 10.1002/jcb.22540

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Although cannabinoids are associated with antineoplastic activity in a number of cancer cell types, the effect in gastric cancer cells has not been clarified. In the present study, we investigated the effects of a cannabinoid agonist on gastric cancer cell proliferation and invasion. The cannabinoid agonist WIN 55,212‐2 inhibited the proliferation of human gastric cancer cells in a dose‐dependent manner and that this effect was mediated partially by the CB~1~ receptor. We also found that WIN 55,212‐2 induced apoptosis and down‐regulation of the phospho‐AKT expression in human gastric cancer cells. Furthermore, WIN 55,212‐2 treatment inhibited the invasion of gastric cancer cells, and down‐regulated the expression of MMP‐2 and VEGF‐A through the cannabinoid receptors. Our results open the possibilities in using cannabinoids as a new gastric cancer therapy. J. Cell. Biochem. 110: 321–332, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.