title: Cytotoxic effects of flavonoids against a human colon cancer derived cell line, COLO 201: a potential natural anti-cancer substance.
abstract: The proliferation of a human colon carcinoma cell line, COLO 201, was effectively suppressed through apoptosis in the presence of flavonoids, an ethanol extract from Vitex agnus-castus fruits. The induction of apoptosis was not inhibited by the presence of an anti-oxidant, N-acetyl-L-cysteine, whereas only HO-1 gene expression levels increased among other typical oxidative stress-associated genes examined after Vitex treatment. These results suggest that Vitex treatment activates a pathway associated with HO-1 gene activation, resulting in the induction of apoptosis in COLO 201. Results also implicate a potential clinical chemotherapeutic application of Vitex for the treatment of colon cancer patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Molecular Genetics, School of Pharmacy, Tokyo University of Pharmacy & Life Sciences, 1432-1 Horinouchi, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0392, Japan.
authors.forename: Masahiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Imai
authors.forename: Hidetomo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kikuchi
authors.forename: Takanori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Denda
authors.forename: Kunio
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ohyama
authors.forename: Chieko
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hirobe
authors.forename: Hiroo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Toyoda
mesh_terms: D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D053938:DNA Fragmentation / Q000187:drug effects; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000494:pharmacology; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D047311:Luteolin / Q000494:pharmacology; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020950:Vitex / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D000975:Antioxidants; D005419:Flavonoids; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D010936:Plant Extracts; C496541:HMOX1 protein, human; D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1; D047311:Luteolin; D000111:Acetylcysteine