title: Morphological and biochemical changes of andrographolide-induced cell death in human prostatic adenocarcinoma PC-3 cells.
abstract: Andrographolide was extracted and purified from Andrographis panicula using hexane and water partitioning followed by ethyl acetate extraction and chromatography. It showed selective cytotoxicity to prostate cancer PC-3 cells in vitro. The morphological and biochemical changes induced by the extract in carcinoma PC-3 cell death were studied. In andrographolide-treated cells, evidence of apoptosis such as cell shrinkage and surface microvilli loss after 4-hour treatment and chromatin condensation and fragmentation in H&E-stained cells between 4 to 8 hours after treatment were observed. Under electron microscopy, membrane blebbing and apoptotic bodies formation were seen after 8-hour treatment. Using immunocytochemistry staining and cellular caspase-3 activity assay, andrographolide-treated cells showed considerable caspase-3 activation and caspase-8 in PC-3 cells at 4 and 2 hours after treatment, respectively. This suggests andrographolide-induced cell death was achieved through the apoptotic pathway, via the activation of an extrinsic caspase cascade.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Tan Guak
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kim Kah
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Hwi
authors.forename: Cheah Swee
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Hung
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000633:toxicity*; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D004224:Diterpenes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D004224:Diterpenes; C030419:andrographolide