Ponicidin inhibits cell growth on hepatocellular carcinoma cells by induction of apoptosis.
OBJECTIVE
Ponicidin is recently reported to have anti-tumour effects on a large variety of cancers. The present study was undertaken to investigate the anti-proliferation effects of ponicidin on hepatocellular carcinoma cells and its mechanism.


METHODS
Two hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines, QGY-7701 and HepG-2 cells, were used. Cell viability was measured by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. Cell apoptosis was assessed by flow cytometry and deoxyribonucleic acid fragmentation analysis. Cell morphology was observed by Hoechst 33258 staining. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis were used to detect Survivin as well as Bax and Bcl-2 expressions.


RESULTS
Ponicidin could inhibit the growth of QGY-7701 and HepG-2 cells significantly by induction of apoptosis. Marked morphological changes of apoptosis were observed clearly. Both Survivin and Bcl-2 expressions were down-regulated remarkably while Bax expression up-regulated when apoptosis occurred.


CONCLUSIONS
Ponicidin has significant anti-proliferation effects by inducing apoptosis on hepatocellular carcinoma cells in vitro, down regulation of Survivin and Bcl-2 as well as upregualation of Bax expressions may be the important apoptotic inducing mechanisms.
Zhang
J-F
JF
Department of Liver Transplantation, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510630, P.R. China.
Liu
P-Q
PQ
Chen
G-H
GH
Lu
M-Q
MQ
Cai
C-J
CJ
Yang
Y
Y
Li
H
H
D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects*; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D004224:Diterpenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000077022:Survivin; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000096:biosynthesis
D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; C107489:BIRC5 protein, human; D004224:Diterpenes; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D000077022:Survivin; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; C090365:ponicidin