Anticancer effects of oligomeric proanthocyanidins on human colorectal cancer cell line, SNU-C4.
OBJECTIVE
Oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPC), natural polyphenolic compounds found in plants, are known to have antioxidant and anti-cancer effects. We investigated whether the anti-cancer effects of the OPC are induced by apoptosis on human colorectal cancer cell line, SNU-C4.


METHODS
Colorectal cancer cell line, SNU-C4 was cultured in RPMI 1640 medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum. The cytotoxic effect of OPC was assessed by 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenylt-etrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. To find out the apoptotic cell death, 4, 6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) staining, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and caspase-3 enzyme assay were performed.


RESULTS
In this study, cytotoxic effect of OPC on SNU-C4 cells appeared in a dose-dependent manner. OPC treatment (100 microg/mL) revealed typical morphological apoptotic features. Additionally OPC treatment (100 microg/mL) increased level of BAX and CASPASE-3, and decreased level of BCL-2 mRNA expression. Caspase-3 enzyme activity was also significantly increased by treatment of OPC (100 microg/mL) compared with control.


CONCLUSIONS
These data indicate that OPC caused cell death by apoptosis through caspase pathways on human colorectal cancer cell line, SNU-C4.
Kim
Youn-Jung
YJ
Department of Food and Biotechnology, Hanseo University, Seosan, South Korea.
Park
Hae-Jeong
HJ
Yoon
Seo-Hyun
SH
Kim
Mi-Ja
MJ
Leem
Kang-Hyun
KH
Chung
Joo-Ho
JH
Kim
Hye-Kyung
HK
D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D001483:Base Sequence; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D019254:Genes, bcl-2; D006801:Humans; D044945:Proanthocyanidins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein
D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; C494826:BAX protein, human; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D044945:Proanthocyanidins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; C505407:CASP3 protein, human; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases