title: Quercetin decreases the expression of ErbB2 and ErbB3 proteins in HT-29 human colon cancer cells.
abstract: Quercetin has chemoprotective properties in experimental colon cancer models, and in vitro studies have demonstrated that quercetin inhibits HT-29 colon cancer cell growth. ErbB2 and ErbB3 receptor tyrosine kinases have been associated with the development of human colon cancer, and the expressions of both receptors are high in HT-29 cells. In this study, we assessed quercetin regulation of HT-29 and SW480 cell apoptosis and the influence of quercetin on the protein expression of ErbB2, ErbB3, Akt, Bax and Bcl-2. We cultured HT-29 cells in the presence of various concentrations (0, 25, 50, or 100 micromol/L) of quercetin or rutin. Quercetin inhibited HT-29 cell growth in a dose-dependent manner, whereas rutin had no effect on the cell growth. DNA that was isolated from cells treated with 50 micromol/L of quercetin exhibited an oliogonucleosomal laddering pattern characteristic of apoptotic cell death. Western blot analysis of cell lysates revealed that Bcl-2 levels decreased dose-dependently in cells treated with quercetin, but Bax remained unchanged. Quercetin increased levels of cleaved caspase-3 and the 89-kDa fragment of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase. In addition, phosphorylated Akt levels were markedly lower in cells treated with 25 micromol/L quercetin, but total Akt levels decreased only at 100 micromol/L quercetin. Furthermore, a dose-dependent decrease in ErbB2 and ErbB3 levels was detected in quercetin-treated cells. The results obtained using SW480 cells were similar to those obtained with HT-29 cells. In conclusion, we have shown that quercetin inhibits cell growth and induces apoptosis in colon cancer cells, and that this may be mediated by its ability to down-regulate ErbB2/ErbB3 signaling and the Akt pathway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Dankook University, Seoul 140-714, Korea.
authors.forename: Woo K
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Myung H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Bang
authors.forename: Eul S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Nam E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Kyeong C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Han J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Jung H Y
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects*; D018815:Genes, erbB / Q000235:genetics*; D018734:Genes, erbB-2 / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D010766:Phosphorylation; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D011794:Quercetin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014443:Tyrosine / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D014443:Tyrosine; D011794:Quercetin; C494918:AKT1 protein, human; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt