Escin, a natural mixture of triterpene saponins, exhibits antitumor activity against hepatocellular carcinoma.
Escin, a mixture of triterpene saponins extracted from Aesculus wilsonii Rehd., was used to analyze the antitumor effect in hepatocellular carcinoma in vivo and in vitro. At a dose of 2.8 mg/kg, escin had a rather high inhibition ratio (43.5 %) on mice H22 tumor growth in vivo. The results of the SRB cell viability assay showed that escin could induce significant concentration- and time-dependent inhibition of HepG (2) cell viability. Disruption of the G (1)/S phase of cell cycle progression accompanied by the induction of apoptosis were also observed in HepG (2) cells following escin treatment. The results of pulse-field gel electrophoresis and Western blot analysis show the induction of caspase-independent apoptosis by escin. This study provides evidence that escin induces cell cycle checkpoint arrest and caspase-independent cell death in HepG (2) cells, in support of its efficacious potential as a chemopreventive agent.
Zhou
Xue-ying
XY
School of Environmental & Biological Science & Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, PR China.
Fu
Feng-hua
FH
Li
Zhen
Z
Dong
Qiu-ju
QJ
He
Jie
J
Wang
Chang-hai
CH
D031319:Aesculus / Q000737:chemistry*; D000818:Animals; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004928:Escin / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D056945:Hep G2 Cells; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D023041:Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D010936:Plant Extracts; D004928:Escin