Lithium inhibits proliferation of human esophageal cancer cell line Eca-109 by inducing a G2/M cell cycle arrest

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To investigate the effect of lithium on proliferation of esophageal cancer (EC) cells and its preliminary mechanisms. Eca-109 cells were treated with lithium chloride, a highly selective inhibitor of glycogen synthase kinase 3beta (GSK-3beta), at different concentrations (2-30 mmol/L) and time points (0, 2, 4, 6 and 24 h). Cell proliferative ability was evaluated by 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, and cell cycle distribution was examined by flow cytometry. Expressions of p-GSK-3beta, beta-catenin, cyclin B1, cdc2 and cyclin D1 protein were detected by Western blotting, and the subcellular localization of beta-catenin was determined by immunofluorescence. The mRNA level of cyclin B1 was detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Lithium could inhibit the proliferation of Eca-109 cells. Lithium at a concentration of 20 mmol/L lithium for 24 h produced obvious changes in the distribution of cell cycle, and increased the number of cells in G(2)/M phase (P<0.05 vs control group). Western blotting showed that lithium inhibited GSK-3beta by Ser-9 phosphorylation and stabilized free beta-catenin in the cytoplasm. Immunofluorescence further confirmed that free beta-catenin actively translocated to the nucleus. Moreover, lithium slightly elevated cyclin D1 protein expression, whereas lowered the cyclin B1 expression after 24 h lithium exposure and no obvious change was observed for cdc2 protein. Lithium can inhibit the proliferation of human esophageal cancer cell line Eca-109 by inducing a G(2)/M cell cycle arrest, which is mainly mediated through the inhibition of lithium-sensitive molecule, GSK-3beta, and reduction of cyclin B1 expression.