Caesalpinia sappan induces cell death by increasing the expression of p53 and p21WAF1/CIP1 in head and neck cancer cells.
Caesalpinia sappan L. (C. sappan) has been used in Oriental medicine as an antitumor agent. The present study shows the effects of the chloroform extract of C. sappan on cell death in head and neck cancer cell lines. The viability of HNSCC4 and HNSCC31 cells (head and neck cancer cell lines) was noticeably decreased compared to that of HaCaT cells (control group) in the presence of chloroform extract. No significant difference was observed in the viability of HNSCC4 and HNSCC31 cells when compared with HaCaT cells in the presence of n-butanol, methanol, and water extracts. Exposure to the chloroform extract of C. sappan resulted in an increase in the Sub-G1 phase of the cell cycle and condensation and shrinkage of nuclei in the HNSCC4 and HNSCC31 cells. The levels of p53 and p21WAF1/CIP1 were also increased in the HNSCC4 and HNSCC31 cells. The results suggest that the chloroform extract of C. sappan may increase cell death in the HNSCC4 and HNSCC31 cells, which is linked to increased cellular levels of p53 and p21WAF1/CIP1.
Kim
Eun-Cheol
EC
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, School of Dentistry, Wonkwang University, South Korea.
Hwang
Young-Soo
YS
Lee
Hwa-Jeong
HJ
Lee
Sun-Kyung
SK
Park
Myung-Hee
MH
Jeon
Byung-Hun
BH
Jeon
Chang-Duk
CD
Lee
Suk-Keun
SK
Yu
Hycon-Hee
HH
You
Yong-Ouk
YO
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D015153:Blotting, Western; D029911:Caesalpinia; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D016193:G1 Phase / Q000187:drug effects; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000096:biosynthesis*
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53