Elm tree bark extract inhibits HepG2 hepatic cancer cell growth via pro-apoptotic activity.
- Author:
Tae Myoung KIM
1
;
Sang Kyung SHIN
;
Tae Wang KIM
;
So Young YOUM
;
Dae Joong KIM
;
Byeongwoo AHN
Author Information
- Publication Type:Original Article ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
- Keywords: apoptosis; elm tree extract; HepG2 cell; Ulmus davidiana
- MeSH: Apoptosis/*drug effects; Blotting, Western; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/*drug therapy/metabolism/pathology; Caspase 3/metabolism; Caspase 9/metabolism; Cell Survival/drug effects; Flow Cytometry; Hep G2 Cells; Humans; Indoles/chemistry; Liver Neoplasms/*drug therapy/metabolism/pathology; Plant Bark/chemistry; Plant Extracts/*pharmacology; Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases/metabolism; Ulmus/*chemistry; bcl-2-Associated X Protein/metabolism
- From:Journal of Veterinary Science 2012;13(1):7-13
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
- Abstract: Control of inflammation is widely accepted as an important strategy for cancer chemoprevention. Anti-inflammatory effects of bark extracts of elm tree (BEE) have been amply reported. Therefore, BEE may be a good candidate cancer chemopreventive agent. Considering the high incidence of hepatic cancer and limited therapeutic approaches for treating this disease, it is important to develop liver cancer-specific chemopreventive agents. To evaluate the chemopreventive potential of BEE, we investigated the growth inhibition effect of BEE on the HepG2 human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line. We performed a cell counting kit-8 assay to determine cell viability, and 4,6-diamino-2-phenylindole staining and flow cytometry to measure apoptotic cell death. Finally, the expression levels of pro- and anti-apoptotic proteins were measured. BEE inhibited the growth of HepG2 cells and induced apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. Pro-apoptotic activity was promoted via the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis, as demonstrated by the activation of pro-apoptotic proteins Bax, caspase-9, caspase-3, and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase as well as the down-regulation of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2. These results suggest that BEE may have potential use in hepatic cancer chemoprevention by suppressing cancer cell growth via pro-apoptotic activity.
