Seung-On Lee, Sang Hoon Joo, Seung-Sik Cho, Goo Yoon, Yung Hyun Choi, Jin Woo Park, Kwon-Yeon Weon, Jung-Hyun Shim
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Anticancer activities of Licochalcone D (LCD) in human colorectal cancer (CRC) cells HCT116 and oxaliplatin-resistant HCT116 (HCT116-OxR) were determined. Cell viability assay and soft agar assay were used to analyze antiproliferative activity of LCD. Flow cytometry was performed to determine effects of LCD on apoptosis, cell cycle distribution, reactive oxygen species (ROS), mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) dysfunction, and multi-caspase activity in CRC cells. Western blot analysis was used to monitor levels of proteins involved in cell cycle and apoptosis signaling pathways. LCD suppressed the growth and anchorageindependent colony formation of both HCT116 and HCT116-OxR cells. Cell cycle analysis by flow cytometry indicated that LCD induced cell cycle arrest and increased cells in sub-G1 phase. In parallel with the antiproliferative effect of LCD, LCD up-regulated levels of p21 and p27 while downregulating cyclin B1 and cdc2. In addition, phosphorylation levels of JNK and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) were increased by LCD. Inhibition of these kinases somehow prevented the antiproliferative effect of LCD. Moreover, LCD increased ROS and deregulated mitochondrial membrane potential, leading to the activation of multiple caspases. An ROS scavenger N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) or pan-caspase inhibitor Z-VAD-FMK prevented the antiproliferative effect of LCD, supporting that ROS generation and caspase activation mediated LCD-induced apoptosis in CRC cells. In conclusion, LCD exerted antitumor activity in CRC cells by inducing ROS generation and phosphorylation of JNK and p38 MAPK. These results support that LCD could be further developed as a chemotherapeutic agent for treating CRC.
期刊介绍:
Biomolecules & Therapeutics (Biomolecules & Therapeutics) (Print ISSN 1976-9148, Online ISSN 2005-4483) is an international, peer-reviewed, open access journal that covers pharmacological and toxicological fields related to bioactive molecules and therapeutics. It was launched in 1993 as "The Journal of Applied Pharmacology (ISSN 1225-6110)", and renamed "Biomolecules & Therapeutics" (Biomol Ther: abbreviated form) in 2008 (Volume 16, No. 1). It is published bimonthly in January, March, May, July, September and November. All manuscripts should be creative, informative, and contribute to the development of new drugs. Articles in the following categories are published: review articles and research articles.