title: Herba houttuyniae extract induces apoptotic death of human promyelocytic leukemia cells via caspase activation accompanied by dissipation of mitochondrial membrane potential and cytochrome c release.
abstract: Herba houttuyniae has been used as a constituent of herval medicine prescriptions for the treatment of inflammation, cancer, and other diseases. In the present study, we investigated the cellular effects of herba houttuyniae extract (HHE) and the signal pathways of HHE-induced apoptosis in HL-60 human promyelocytic leukemia cell line. HHE treatment caused apoptosis of cells as evidenced by discontinuous fragmentation of DNA, the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, release of mitochondrial cytochrome c into the cytosol, activation of procaspase-9 and caspase-3, and proteolytic cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase. Pretreatment of Ac-DEVD-CHO, caspase-3 specific inhibitor, or cyclosporin A, a mitochondrial permeability transition inhibitor, completely abolished HHE-induced DNA fragmentation. Together, these results suggest that HHE possibly causes mitochondrial damage leading to cytochrome c release into cytosol and activation of caspases resulting in PARP cleavage and execution of apoptotic cell death in HL-60 cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Chonbuk National University, Chonju 561-756, Korea.
authors.forename: Kang-Beom
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: Eun-Kyung
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Byung-Cheul
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Eun-A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.forename: Jeong-Yeh
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Do-Gon
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Ryu
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism*; D003574:Cytochrome c Group / Q000378:metabolism*; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D018922:HL-60 Cells; D006801:Humans; D008518:Medicine, East Asian Traditional; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000187:drug effects*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D003574:Cytochrome c Group; D010936:Plant Extracts; C505407:CASP3 protein, human; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases