Anti-tumor activity of Gastrodia elata Blume is closely associated with a GTP-Ras-dependent pathway

• DOI: 10.3892/or.18.4.849
• Publication Date: 2014-03-10T07:50:49Z
• Authors: Jin-Chul Heo; Sang-Uk Woo; MinSik Son; Ja-Young Park; Won-Sik Choi; Kyu-Tae Chang; Sung-Uk Kim; Eun-Kyung Yoon; Yong-Hoon Kim; Heung Shin; Sang-Han Lee
• Keywords: Gastrodia elata

Gastrodia elata Blume (GEB) is an important medicinal plant in Korea. In order to confirm the anti-tumor activities of GEB extracts, we carried out various in vitro anti-tumor assays, including a wound assay and an invasion assay using an ethyl ether extract of GEB. The results showed that the GEB extract exhibits potent anti-tumor activity in vitro in a dose-dependent manner. The expression of CD44, cdc42, Timp-2 or RhoA mRNA did not change by GEB treatment, compared to that of the control. GTP-Ras, an active form of a G-coupled protein family, however, is associated with the anti-tumor activity of GEB extracts. We examined various molecular markers related to metastasis by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction with the extract of GEB-treated B16 cells. There was an increase in GTP-Ras expression by the Gastrodia elata Blume extract. Together, these results suggest that the Gastrodia elata Blume extract could have potential in alleviating tumorigenesis, by a GTP-Ras-dependent pathway; although the precise molecular mechanisms are still being examined.