DAPT Enhances the Apoptosis of Human Tongue Carcinoma Cells

AIM: To investigate the effect of DAPT (γ-secretase inhibitor) on the growth of human tongue carcinoma cells and to determine the molecular mechanism to enable the potential application of DAPT to the treatment of tongue carcinoma. METHODOLOGY: Human tongue carcinoma Tca8113 cells were cultured with DAPT. Cell growth was determined using Indigotic Reduction method. The cell cycle and apoptosis were analyzed by flow cytometry. Real-time PCR and Immuno-Fluorescence (IF) were employed to determine the intracellular expression levels. RESULTS: DAPT inhibited the growth of human tongue carcinoma Tca8113 cells by inducing G(0)–G(1) cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. The mRNA levels of Hairy/Enhancer of Split-1 (Hes-1), a target of Notch activation, were reduced by DAPT in a dose-dependent manner. Coincident with this observation, DAPT induced a dose-dependent promotion of constitutive Caspase-3 in Tca8113 cells. CONCLUSION: DAPT may have a therapeutic value for human tongue carcinoma. Moreover, the effects of DAPT in tumor inhibition may arise partly via the modulation of Notch-1 and Caspase-3.