Gleditsia sinensis fruit extract-induced apoptosis involves changes of reactive oxygen species level, mitochondrial membrane depolarization and caspase 3 activation.
Recently, we have shown that the anomalous fruit extract of Gleditsia sinensis (GSE) processes apoptotic activity on numerous solid tumour and leukaemia cell lines as well as primary cultured leukaemia cells obtained from bone marrow aspirate of patients. GSE treated cancer cells exhibited apoptotic features as readily illustrated by morphological investigation, DNA fragmentation analysis and TUNEL labelling methods. Elevation of intracellular superoxide dismutase activity was observed. However, the detailed mechanism still remains undefined. Here we further demonstrated that cell cycle arrest, increment of hydrogen peroxide production, changes of intracellular acid-base equilibrium and mitochondrial membrane potential depolarization (DeltaPsi(m)) were induced from cancer cells after GSE incubation. Caspase 3 protease activity was significantly enhanced upon GSE treatment. Taken together, a defined signaling pathway for the mechanistic action of GSE on cancer cells was worked out.
Chui
Chung Hin
CH
Central Laboratory of the Institute of Molecular Technology for Drug Discovery and Synthesis, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, P.R. China.
Lau
Fung Yi
FY
Chan
Albert Sun Chi
AS
Cheng
Gregory Yin Ming
GY
Wong
Raymond Siu Ming
RS
Lai
Ka Bik
KB
Kok
Stanton Hon Lung
SH
Yeung
Terry Tin Lok Au
TT
Teo
Ivy Tuang Ngo
IT
Yau
Mable Yin Chun
MY
Cheung
Filly
F
Cheng
Chor Hing
CH
Tang
Johnny Cheuk On
JC
D000136:Acid-Base Equilibrium / Q000187:drug effects; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry*; D031501:Gleditsia / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000378:metabolism; D007425:Intracellular Membranes / Q000187:drug effects; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism*
D010936:Plant Extracts; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; C505407:CASP3 protein, human; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases