Abstract: Objective: To study the inhibitory effects of andrographolide(Andro) on the proliferation,migration and clone formation ability of renal cell carcinoma(RCC) cells and the induction on the apoptosis,and to clarify their related mechanisms. Methods: The RCC cells were treated with different concentrations (5,10,20,40 and 80 μmol·L^-1) of Andro as experimental groups,and 0 μmol·L^-1 Andro group was used as blank control group,MTS assay was used to detect the proliferation rates of RCC cells in various groups.The RCC cells were treated with different concentrations (0.50,1.25 and 2.50 μmol·L^-1) of Andro as experimental groups,and 0 μmol·L^-1 Andro group was used as blank control group.Clonogenic assays was used to detect the colony formation ability of RCC cells in various groups. The RCC cells were treated with different concentrations (10,20 and 40 μmol·L^-1) of Andro as experimental groups,and 0 μmol·L^-1 Andro group was used as blank control group.Wound healing assay was used to detect the migration ability of RCC cells in various groups.Flow cytometry was used to detect the apoptotic rates of RCC cells in various groups.Western blotting was performed to detect the expression levels of apoptosis related proteins in RCC cells in various groups. Results: Compared with blank control group,the proliferation rates of RCC cells in 10,20,40 and 80 μmol·L^-1 Andro groups were markedly decreased(P<0.05 or P<0.01).Compared with blank control group,the colony formation rates of RCC cells in 0.50 and 1.25 μmol·L^-1 Andro groups were markedly decreased(P<0.05 or P<0.01).Compared with blank control group,the scratch healing rates of RCC cells in 10,20 and 40 μmol·L^-1 Andro groups were markedly decreased (P<0.01),and the apoptotic rates of RCC cells in 20 and 40 μmol·L^-1 Andro groups were markedly increased (P<0.01).Compared with blank control group,the expression level of γ-H2AX protein in 40 μmol·L^-1 Andro group was markedly increased(P<0.01),the expression level of Caspase-8 protein was decreased (P<0.05), and the expression level of cleaved Caspase-8 protein was markedly increased(P<0.01). Conclusion: Andro can effectively suppress the proliferation,migration and colony formation ability of RCC cells and induce the apoptosis of RCC cells.The mechanism of apoptosis might be related to inducing the DNA damage and the apoptotic pathways induced by JNK/H2AX and Caspase-8.

Key words: andrographolide, cell migration, kidney neoplasms, cell proliferation, apoptosis