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KMID : 1140120120170010080
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Cancer Prevention Research
2012 Volume.17 No. 1 p.80 ~ p.86
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Induction of Apoptosis by Water Extract of Euphorbiae humifusae in HepG2 Human Hepatocarcinoma Cells through Activation of Caspases
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Choi Yung-Hyun
Seo Sang-Ho
Park Sang-Eun
Hong Sang-Hoon
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Abstract
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Euphorbiae humifusae, a traditional drug in Korea, Japan and China, possesses various pharmacological activities that include a potential source of free radical scavenging, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activities. However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms of apoptosis induction by E. humifusae in human cancer cells are poorly understood. In the present study, we conducted an investigation of the pro-apoptotic effects of water extract of E. humifusae (WEEH) in human liver cancer HepG2 cells. Exposure to WEEH was found to result in a concentration-dependent growth inhibition by induction of apoptosis. Induction of apoptotic cell death of HepG2 cells by WEEH showed a correlation with the down-regulation of members of the inhibitor of apoptosis protein (IAP) family, including X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP), cIAP-1 and cIAP-2, and anti-apoptotic Bcl-2, up-regulation of tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL), death receptor (DR) 4, and DR5 depending on dosage. WEEH treatment also induced proteolytic activation of caspase-3, -8 and -9; however, the cytotoxic effects and apoptotic characteristics induced by WEEH were significantly inhibited by z-VAD-fmk, a pan-caspase, which demonstrates the important role that caspase activation played in the process. Taken together, these findings suggest that WEEH may be a potential chemotherapeutic agent for use in the control of human hepatocarcinoma cells and that further studies are needed for the identification of the active compounds.
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KEYWORD
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Euphorbiae humifusae, HepG2, Apoptosis, Caspase
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