title: Emodin induces apoptosis of human cervical cancer cells through poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage and activation of caspase-9.
abstract: Emodin (1,3,8-trihydroxy-6-methylanthraquinone) is an active herbal component traditionally used in China for treating various ailments. Emodin exerts antiproliferative effects in many cancer cell lines and the actual molecular mechanism of which is still not clear. Since apoptosis could be a potential mechanism to explain these effects, we tested whether emodin induces cell death in human cervical cancer cells. Our results suggest that emodin exerts antiproliferative effects in human cervical cancer cells. Emodin inhibited DNA synthesis and induced apoptosis as demonstrated by increased nuclear condensation, annexin binding and DNA fragmentation in Bu 25TK cells in the presence of emodin. Moreover, we demonstrate for the first time in human cervical cancer cells that the apoptotic pathway involved in emodin-induced apoptosis is caspase-dependent and presumably through the mitochondrial pathway, as shown by the activation of caspases-3, -9 and cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cancer Biology, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Poojapura, Thiruvananthapuram 695 014, Kerala, India.
authors.forename: Gopal
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Srinivas
authors.forename: Ruby John
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Anto
authors.forename: Priya
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Srinivas
authors.forename: Subramanian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vidhyalakshmi
authors.forename: Vijayamma Priya
authors.initials: VP
authors.lastname: Senan
authors.forename: Devarajan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Karunagaran
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis; D015153:Blotting, Western; D053453:Caspase 9; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002470:Cell Survival; D004586:Electrophoresis; D004642:Emodin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011065:Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases / Q000378:metabolism*; D013936:Thymidine; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms
chemical_list: D011065:Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases; C506433:CASP9 protein, human; D053453:Caspase 9; D020169:Caspases; D004642:Emodin; D013936:Thymidine