title: Acacetin-induced apoptosis of human breast cancer MCF-7 cells involves caspase cascade, mitochondria-mediated death signaling and SAPK/JNK1/2-c-Jun activation.
abstract: The mechanism of acacetin-induced apoptosis of human breast cancer MCF-7 cells was investigated. Acacetin caused 50% growth inhibition (IC50) of MCF-7 cells at 26.4% 0.7% M over 24 h in the MTT assay. Apoptosis was characterized by DNA fragmentation and an increase of sub-G1 cells and involved activation of caspase-7 and PARP (poly-ADP-ribose polymerase). Maximum caspase 7 activity was observed with 100 microM acacetin for 24 h. Caspase 8 and 9 activation cascades mediated the activation of caspase 7. Acacetin caused a reduction of Bcl-2 expression leading to an increase of the Bax:Bcl-2 ratio. It also caused a loss of mitochondrial membrane potential that induced release of cytochrome c and apoptosis inducing factor (AIF) into the cytoplasm, enhancing ROS generation and subsequently resulting in apoptosis. Pretreatment of cells with N-acetylcysteine (NAC) reduced ROS generation and cell growth inhibition, and pretreatment with NAC or a caspase 8 inhibitor (Z-IETD-FMK) inhibited the acacetin-induced loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and release of cytochrome c and AIF. Stress-activated protein kinase/c-Jun NH4-terminal kinase 1/2 (SAPK/ JNK1/2) and c-Jun were activated by acacetin but extracellular-regulated kinase 1/2 (Erk1/2) nor p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) were not. Our results show that acacetin-induced apoptosis of MCF-7 cells is mediated by caspase activation cascades, ROS generation, mitochondria-mediated cell death signaling and the SAPK/JNK1/2-c-Jun signaling pathway, activated by acacetin-induced ROS generation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Advanced Technology Fusion and Bio/Molecular Informatics Center, Konkuk University, Seoul 143-701, Korea;
authors.forename: Hye-Young
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Shim
authors.forename: Jong-Hwa
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Hyun-Dong
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Paik
authors.forename: Seung-Yeol
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Nah
authors.forename: Darrick S H L
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Ye Sun
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Han
mesh_terms: D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000502:physiology; D061945:Caspase Inhibitors; D020169:Caspases / Q000502:physiology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D005260:Female; D047309:Flavones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000502:physiology*; D048670:MAP Kinase Kinase 4 / Q000502:physiology*; D053078:Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial / Q000187:drug effects; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 / Q000502:physiology; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3 / Q000502:physiology; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000494:pharmacology; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000502:physiology; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: C494826:BAX protein, human; D061945:Caspase Inhibitors; D047309:Flavones; D009842:Oligopeptides; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; C403753:benzyloxycarbonyl-isoleucyl-glutamyl-threonyl-aspartic acid fluoromethyl ketone; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3; D048670:MAP Kinase Kinase 4; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases; C023717:acacetin; D000111:Acetylcysteine