Abstract: AIM: To investigate the effects of p42/44 MAPK signaling on diallyl disulfide-induced apoptosis in CNE2 cells.METHODS: Morphological changes and quantification of apoptotic cells were determined under fluorescence microscope after a 24 h treatment of CNE2 by Diallyl disulfide (DADS ). Cell viability was determined withMTT method. Apoptosis detection which was taken to the cells on flowcytometry. The expression of phosphorp42 44 MAPK was measured by Western blotting.RESULTS: After treatment with DADS at 50-150 μmol·L^-1 for 24 h, DADS elicited typical apoptotic morphologic changes (chromatic condensation and nucleus fragmentation). The amount of apoptosis cells increased in a concentration-dependent manner but cell-cycle arrest was not. At the concentration between 50 and 150 μmol·L^-1, incubation of CNE2 with DADS for 24 h also induced phosphor-p42/44 MAPK expression in a concentration-dependent manner. Interestingly, DADS induced apoptosis was markedly increased by preincubation with U0126, a specific p42/44MAPK inhibitor, and increased the expression of phosphor-p42/44 MAPK in a concentration-dependent manner.CONCLUSION: DADS activates p42/44MAPK, and phosphor-p42/44MAPK signaling appears to play protective roles in DADS-induced apoptosis in CNE2.

Key words: apoptosis, phospho-p42/44 MAPK, diallyl disulfide, Western blotting, CNE2