Grifolin, a potential antitumor natural product from the mushroom Albatrellus confluens, inhibits tumor cell growth by inducing apoptosis in vitro.
Grifolin is a natural biologically active substance isolated from the fresh fruiting bodies of the mushroom Albatrellus confluens. Here, for the first time, we describe a novel activity of grifolin, namely its ability to inhibit the growth of tumor cells by the induction of apoptosis. Grifolin strongly inhibited the growth of tumor cell lines: CNE1, HeLa, MCF7, SW480, K562, Raji and B95-8. Analysis of acridine orange (AO)/ethidium bromide (EB) staining and flow cytometry showed that grifolin possessed apoptosis induction activity to CNE1, HeLa, MCF7 and SW480. Furthermore, the cytochrome c release from mitochondria was detected by confocal microscopy in CNE1 cells after a 12h treatment with grifolin. The increase of caspase-8, 9, 3 activities revealed that caspase was a key mediator of the apoptotic pathway induced by grifolin, and the underexpression of Bcl-2 and up-regulation of Bax resulted in the increase of Bax: Bcl-2 ratio, suggesting that Bcl-2 family involved in the control of apoptosis. Owing to the combination of the significant antitumor activity by inducing apoptosis and natural abundance of the compound, grifolin holds the promise of being an interesting antitumor agent that deserves further laboratory and in vivo exploration.
Ye
Mao
M
Cancer Research Institute, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410078, PR China.
Liu
Ji-Kai
JK
Lu
Zhong-Xin
ZX
Zhao
Yan
Y
Liu
Su-Fang
SF
Li
Li-Li
LL
Tan
Ming
M
Weng
Xin-Xian
XX
Li
Wei
W
Cao
Ya
Y
D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis; D001487:Basidiomycota / Q000737:chemistry; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D045304:Cytochromes c / Q000378:metabolism; D015536:Down-Regulation; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D013729:Terpenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015854:Up-Regulation; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; C494826:BAX protein, human; C494827:Bax protein, mouse; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D013729:Terpenes; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; C058858:grifolin; D045304:Cytochromes c; D020169:Caspases