Abstract: AIM: To observe the inhibitory action and apoptotic activity of momordin to nonsmall-cell lung cancer A₅₄₉ cells and explore its effects on the expression of p42/44-MAPK and phosphorylation pp42/44-MAPK and its mechanisms of action.METHODS: A₅₄₉ cells were treated with different concentration gradient of momordinand and incubated for different time, then the cytostatic activity and apoptosis to A₅₄₉ cells were detected by CCK-8 kit and flow cytometry, respectively.The bitter melon protein were extracted for different time and the changes of signaling molecules such as p42/44-MAPK and p-p42/44-MAPK were detected by western blot.RESULTS: CCK-8 test indicated that momordin had a strong cytostatic activity to A₅₄₉ cells.TUNEL fluorescent assay indicated that momordin could markedly induce A₅₄₉ cells apoptosis. Western blot assay showed that the expression of p42/44-MAPK and p-p42/44-MAPK were partially down regulated compared with the negative control group (P <0.05).CONCLUSION: Momordin has a strong cytostatic and anti-tumor activity to non-small-cell lung cancer A₅₄₉ cells through inducing A₅₄₉ cells apoptosis.Its partial mechanisms maybe involve in inhibiting the MAPK signal pathway such as down-regulating the expression of p42/44-MAPK and phosphorylation p42/44-MAPK and driving tumor cells to apoptosis.

Key words: momordin, A₅₄₉ cell, apoptosis, p42/44-MAPK, p-p42/44-MAPK