The changes of gene expressions in malignant melanoma cells treated by Zanthoxylum piperitum

H Yanagie MD PhD, T Hisa MD PhD, T Nishihira MD PhD, MD Osada PhD, Y Furuya MD PhD, H Sugiyama MD PhD, T Sairenji MD PhD, K Tamai MD PhD, M Eriguchi MD PhD

Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

AIM: During cell growth, proliferation and differentiation are the two major important phenomena, but their meanings seem to be opposite. Especially in malignant cells, proliferation indicates malignant sign, on the contrary, differentiation indicates benign sign. For example, amelanotic malignant melanoma, which has lost the differentiated activity - the ability of melanin production, is usually worse than usual malignant melanoma. That is, amelanotic melanoma proliferates and proliferates, while usual melanoma proliferates and differentiates. On the other hand, we have reported that Zanthoxylum piperitum recovers the white hair into black hair, that is, the recovery of the differentiation ability in melanocyte. Therefore, we wanted to examine whether the Zanthoxylum piperitum might recover the differentiation ability in malignant melanona, that might be, the induction of benign change. METHODS: Microarray analysis was used to determine the difference between mRNA from naive malignant melanoma and mRNA from Zanthoxylum piperitum treated malignant melanoma. RESULTS: Malignant melanoma's some interesting genes showed up-regulations, and some other genes showed down-regulations. CONCLUSIONS: Zanthoxylum piperitum has several effects on malignant melanoma cells.

Paper presented at the International Symposium on Predictive Oncology and Intervention Strategies; Nice, France; February 7 - 10, 2004; in poster session 892 (Susceptibility genes).