The Apoptotic Effect of the Hexane Extract of Rheum undulatum L. in Oral Cancer Cells through the Down-regulation of Specificity Protein 1 and Survivin.
- Author:
Eun Sun CHOI
1
;
Sung Dae CHO
;
Jae Gyu JEON
;
Nam Pyo CHO
Author Information
- Publication Type:In Vitro ; Original Article
- Keywords: Hexane extract of Rheum undulatum L. (HERL); apoptosis; specificity protein 1; survivin; oral cancer
- MeSH: Apoptosis; Cell Death; Cell Line; Cell Survival; Down-Regulation; Humans; Mouth Neoplasms; Rheum; Sensitivity and Specificity*
- From:Laboratory Animal Research 2011;27(1):19-24
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
- Abstract: The hexane extract of Rheum undulatum L. (HERL) has been shown to have anti-cancer activity in several cancers in vivo and in vitro. However, the anti-cancer activity of HERL and its molecular mechanism in human oral cancer cells has not been explored. Thus, the aim of this study was to elucidate the growth-inhibitory and apoptosis-inducing effects of HERL in HN22 and SCC15 oral cancer cell lines. This study shows that HERL inhibits oral cancer growth, decreases cell viability, and causes apoptotic cell death in HN22 and SCC15 cells, as characterized by morphological changes, nuclear condensation and fragmentation, the cleavage of PARP and the accumulation of cells in the sub-G1 phase. The treatment of oral cancer cells with HERL also resulted in decreased expression of specificity protein (Sp1) and its downstream protein, survivin. Therefore, our results suggest that the regulation of Sp1 and survivin plays a critical role in HERL-induced apoptosis in human oral cancer cells.
