Rapamycin inhibits the proliferation and apoptosis of gastric cancer cells by down regulating the expression of survivin.

Background/Aims: Gastric cancer is the second cause of cancer death worldwide. The prognosis of gastric cancer is poor due to its aggressiveness and resistance to chemotherapy. It has been reported that mTOR signaling pathway plays an important role in the development of several cancers. Rapamycin is an inhibitor of mTOR signaling pathway. This study aimed to observe the effects of rapamycin on the proliferation, apoptosis and invasiveness in human gastric cancer cell lines, SGC-7901 and MKN-45, and its mechanisms. Methodolgy: Different concentrations of rapamycin (5nM, 10nM, 20nM and 40nM) were used in our research. MTT and flow cytometry assays were used to detect the proliferation and apoptosis of SGC-7901 and MKN-45 cells. Transwell assay was used to observe the invasive ability of gastric cancer cells. To observe the mRNA and protein expression of mTOR and survivin, RT-PCR and western blot assays were used. Results: Our data showed that rapamycin could inhibit the proliferation and the invasive ability of SGC-7901 and MKN-45 cells. It also could induce the apoptosis of these two gastric cancer cell lines. These effects were observed in a dose dependent manner. The mRNA and protein expression of mTOR and survivin were inhibited by rapamycin as assessed by RT-PCR and western blot. Conclusions: Rapamycin could inhibit the proliferation and the invasive ability and induce the apoptosis of human gastric cancer cells in vitro. It might exert its biological effects through the inhibition of mTOR and survivin.