OBJECTIVETo study the effect of resveratrol bovine serum albumin nanoparticles on SKOV3 cell line and its mechanisms.

METHODSThe morphological changes of the cells exposed to the nanoparticles were observed by apoptotic body/cell nucleus DNA staining under inverted microscope and fluorescence microscope, and the pathway of cell death was determined by phosphatidylserine translocation. Western blotting was performed to detect the activation of cyto.c, caspase-3 and caspase-9.

RESULTSDNA ladder was detected with gel electrophoresis and the cell death was partially inhibited by the pan-caspase inhibitor Z-VAD-FMK. Gel electrophoresis displayed both DNA ladder and smear in RES-BSANP exposed groups, while DNA ladder disappeared in Z-VAD-FMK group and only the smear was left. Cyto.c in the cytoplasm was released at 2 h, while the expression of caspase-9 protein reached the peak level at 4 h and caspase-3 expression was obvious enhanced at 8 h. At 4 h, caspase-9 expression in the cells exposed to 100 µmol/L RES-BSANP was decreased significantly as compared to the cells treated with 50 µmol/L RES-BSANP (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONRES-BSANP can induce the necrosis and apoptosis of SKOV3 cells via either caspase-dependent or caspase-independent pathways.