In vitro evaluation of effects of Mg-6Zn alloy extracts on apoptosis of intestinal epithelial cells

We assessed the in vitro cytotoxicity of Mg-6Zn alloy and analyzed the cell apoptosis rate and the expression of caspase-3 to evaluate the effects of Mg-6Zn alloy extracts on apoptosis of intestinal epithelial cells (IEC)-6. IEC-6 cells were cultured in different concentrations of Mg-6Zn alloy extracts (40%, 20%) and in the control group. The indirect effects of Mg-6Zn alloy on IEC-6 cells were studied by calculating the cell relative growth rate (RGR), measuring the apoptosis of IEC-6 cells through flow cytometry, and investigating the expression of caspase-3 using real-time polymerase chain reaction. The experimental results show that the cytotoxicity of these extracts is Grade 0-1. The level of apoptosis in IEC-6 cells cultured in 40% Mg-6Zn alloy extracts is significantly higher than that in cells treated with 20% extract and the control group. The expression of caspase-3 is found to be up-regulated in the 40% extract as compared to 20% extract and the control group. Taken together, the data show that the Mg-6Zn alloy in 40% and 20% concentration extracts proves noncytotoxicity. But the 40% con-centration of Mg-6Zn alloy extract can induce the apoptosis and the related caspase-3 expression in vitro.