Chemopreventive action of Lygodium flexuosum extract in human hepatoma PLC/PRF/5 and Hep 3B cells.
BACKGROUND
Lygodium flexuosum (Lygodiaceae), a medicinal fern used in Indian traditional medicine against liver disorders.


OBJECTIVE
The rationale of the study was to examine whether the n-hexane extract from plant Lygodium flexuosum affects apoptosis on human hepatoma PLC/PRF/5 and Hep 3B cells.


METHODS
Chemopreventive activity of the Lygodium flexuosum extract was determined by MTT assay, annexin-V FITC binding to phosphatidyl serine and cleavage of PARP. Subdiploid condition of cells treated with Lygodium flexuosum was analyzed by flow cytometry. Further, used transiently transfected NF-kappaB reporter in PLC/PRF/5 cells to evaluate the inhibitive effect of Lygodium flexuosum extract.


RESULTS
Lygodium flexuosum extract inhibited the cell viability and induced apoptosis in hepatoma cells in a concentration dependent manner as evidenced by apoptotic changes such as flipping of phosphatidyl serine, cleavage of PARP. Cell cycle analysis showed the subG1 apoptotic population in cells treated with higher concentrations of the extract. When activated with exogenous TNF-alpha in transfected hepatoma cells it was observed that NF-kappaB dependent gene expression was inhibited by treatment with Lygodium flexuosum extract in PLC/PRF/5 cells dose-dependently.


CONCLUSIONS
This investigation suggests that the Lygodium flexuosum extract has antiproliferative and apoptotic activity in both cancer cells and has inhibitive role in TNF-alpha induced NF-kappaB activation in PLC/PRF/5 cells confirms the potential of the extract as a chemopreventive agent.
Wills
P J
PJ
Molecular Ethnopharmacology Laboratory, Division of Molecular Medicine and Cancer Biology, Rajiv Gandhi Center for Biotechnology, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695014, India. willspj@yahoo.co.in
Asha
V V
VV
D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D029624:Ferns; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D010718:Phosphatidylserines / Q000378:metabolism; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011065:Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases / Q000378:metabolism; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology
D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D016328:NF-kappa B; D010718:Phosphatidylserines; D010936:Plant Extracts; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D011065:Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases