Abstract:Objective To investigate the effects of membrane toxin 12 (MT-12), as one of the extracts from Naja naja atra venom, on the proliferation, apoptosis and autophagy of bladder cancer cells. Methods We Used CCK8 method to detect the proliferation of bladder cancer RT4 and T24 cells after 0, 24, 48, 72, 96 and 120?h treatment of different concentrations of MT-12 (0.10, 0.25 and 0.50?μg/ml). The effect of MT-12 treatment of bladder cancer RT4 and T24 cells (after 6 or 24?h) on the apoptosis was determined by flow cytometry. The cell viability was detected by MTT assay after bladder cancer cells were treated with pan-caspase inhibitor and MT-12. Autophagic body formation was observed after GFP-LC3 transfection and the expression of autophagic markers was detected by Western blotting. Results The results of CCK8 showed that MT-12 could inhibit proliferation ability of bladder cancer RT4 and T24 cells after 0, 24, 48, 72, 96 and 120?h treatment of different concentrations of MT-12. The results of flow cytometry showed that the experimental group can increase the apoptotic rates of bladder cancer RT4 and T24 cells after 6-and 24-hour treatment of MT-12. After treatment of pan-caspase inhibitor V-ZAD-FMK, MT-12 did not completely lose its inhibitory effect on bladder cancer. Western blotting and GFP-LC3 transfection assay results showed LC3-II/LC3-I ratio increased and autophagosome transfected by GFP-LC3 (green fluorescence point) increased. Conclusions MT-12 can inhibit the proliferation of bladder cancer RT4 and T24 cell lines in a concentration-time-dependent manner and induce apoptosis. MT-12 can induce autophagy and autophagic death may occur in cells in the process of bladder cancer inhibited by MT-12.