title: A steroid fraction of chloroform extract from bee pollen of Brassica campestris induces apoptosis in human prostate cancer PC-3 cells.
abstract: Bee pollen of Brassica campestris L. is widely used in China as a natural food supplement and an herbal medicine in strengthening the body's resistance against diseases including cancer. The present study was carried out to investigate the effect of a steroid fraction of chloroform extract from bee pollen of Brassica campestris L. on human cancer cell viability. Our studies show that among nine cancer cell lines of different origin (PC-3, LNCaP, MCF-7, Hela, BEL-7402, BCG-823, KB, A549 and HO8910), this steroid fraction displayed the strongest cytotoxicity in human prostate cancer PC-3 cells. The mode of cell death appeared to be apoptosis in PC-3 cells, as shown by flow-cytometric analysis and fluorescence microscopes. Caspase-3 activity was obviously enhanced after the cells were treated with the fraction. A time-dependent decrease in the expression of anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 was also observed by Western blot analysis. It is suggested that the steroid fraction could induce cytotoxicity in prostate cancer PC-3 cells by triggering apoptosis. The studies indicate that the steroid fraction of chloroform extract from bee pollen of Brassica campestris L. may be a promising candidate for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, 310031 Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Yao-Dong
authors.initials: YD
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Yi-Jia
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Lou
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D001516:Bees; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001937:Brassica / Q000737:chemistry*; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002725:Chloroform / Q000737:chemistry; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011058:Pollen / Q000737:chemistry*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D013256:Steroids / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts; D013256:Steroids; D002725:Chloroform; D053148:Caspase 3