title: Emodin induces apoptosis in human prostate cancer cell LNCaP.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To elucidate effects and mechanisms of emodin in prostate cancer cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  Viability of emodin-treated LNCaP cells and PC-3 cells was measured by MTT assay. Following emodin treatments, DNA fragmentation was assayed by agarose gel electrophoresis. Apoptosis rate and the expression of Fas and FasL were assayed by flow cytometric analysis. The mRNA expression levels of androgen receptor (AR), prostate-specific antigen (PSA), p53, p21, Bcl-2, Bax, caspase-3, -8, -9 and Fas were detected by RT-PCR, and the protein expression levels of AR, p53 and p21 were detected by Western blot analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In contrast to PC-3, emodin caused a marked increase in apoptosis and a decrease in cell proliferation in LNCaP cells. The expression of AR and PSA was decreased and the expression of p53 and p21 was increased as the emodin concentrations were increased. In the same time, emodin induced apoptosis of LNCaP cells through the upregulation of caspase-3 and -9, as well as the increase of Bax /Bcl-2 ratio. However, it did not involve modulation of Fas or caspase-8 protein expression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In prostate cancer cell line, LNCaP, emodin inhibites the proliferation by AR and p53-p21 pathways, and induces apoptosis via the mitochondrial pathway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shandong University School of Medicine, Jinan, China.
authors.forename: Chun-Xiao
authors.initials: CX
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Xiao-Qian
authors.initials: XQ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Lu-Dong
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Peng-Ju
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Wei-Wen
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Wen-Wen
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Qing-Wei
authors.initials: QW
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jian-Ye
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D053453:Caspase 9 / Q000378:metabolism; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D050759:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21 / Q000378:metabolism; D004642:Emodin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D011944:Receptors, Androgen / Q000378:metabolism; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000378:metabolism; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D050759:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D011944:Receptors, Androgen; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen; D053148:Caspase 3; D053453:Caspase 9; D004642:Emodin