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KMID : 1134820080370060714
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Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
2008 Volume.37 No. 6 p.714 ~ p.720
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Induction of Apoptotic Cell Death by Aqueous Extract of Cordyceps militaris Through Activation of Caspase-3 in Human Hepatocarcinoma Hep3B Cells
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Kim Kyung-Mi
Park Cheol
Seo Sang-Ho
Hong Sang-Hoon
Lee Won-Ho
Choi Yung-Hyun
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Abstract
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Cordyceps militaris is a medicinal fungus which has been used for patient suffering from cancer in Oriental medicine. It was previously reported that C. militaris extracts are capable of inhibiting tumor growth and inducing apoptosis; however, the anti-poliferative effects of human cancer cells have been poorly understood. In this study, to elucidate the anti-cancer mechanisms of human cancer cells by treatment with aqueous extract of C. militaris (AECM), we investigated the anti-proliferative effects of AECM in human hepatocarcinoma Hep3B cells. AECM treatment inhibited the growth of Hep3B cells and induced the apoptotic cell death in a concentration-dependent manner such as formation of apoptotic bodies and increased populations of apoptotic-sub G1 phase. The induction of apoptosis by AECM was connected with a proteolytic activation of caspase-3 and caspase-8. and concomitant degradation of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) and β-cateninproteins. Furthermore, caspase-3 inhibitor, z-DEVD-fmk, significantly inhibited AECM-induced apoptosis demonstrating the important role of caspase-3 in the observed cytotoxic effect. Taken together, these findings suggest that AECM-induced inhibition of human hepatocarcinoma cell proliferation is associated with the induction of apoptotic cell death via activation of caspase-3 and C. militaris may have therapeutic potential in human cancer.
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KEYWORD
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Cordyceps militaris, Hep3B, apoptosis, caspase-3
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