This study utilized the MTT assay to detect the effect of Veronica ciliata Fisch. ethyl acetate extract (VEAE) on the proliferation of different cancer cells (A549, Hela, U20S, MCF-7, SMMC-7721) and select the most sensitive cells. Furthermore, the mechanism of VEAE inhibiting cancer cells proliferation was measured by DAPI staining, Annexin-V/PI staining and quantitative real-time PCR. MTT assay showed that the proliferation of five cancer cells were gradually suppressed with the increasing of concentration and treatment time of VEAE. And VEAE exhibited the strongest inhibitory effect on MCF-7 cells, and IC50 of VEAE reached to minimum as 63.42±0.19 μg/mL. Further studies by DAPI staining and Annexin-V/PI staining showed that after treatment of MCF-7 cells with VEAE, cell shrinkage and turn round, the ratios of apoptotic cells increased from 5.00% (control group) to 47.45% with the increasing of concentration of VEAE. Quantitative real-time PCR showed that VEAE could promote the expression of Caspase-3, Caspase-9 , Bax genes and inhibit the expression of Bcl-2 gene. It indicated that VEAE could inhibit cells proliferation and induce cells apoptosis. The mechanism may be associated with the expression of apoptosis related genes.
