Apoptosis inducing activity of fucoidan in HCT-15 colon carcinoma cells.
The antitumor activity of fucoidan from Fucus vesiculosus was investigated in human colon carcinoma cells. The crude fucoidan, a polysaccharide composed predominantly of sulfated fucose, markedly inhibited the growth of HCT-15 cells (human colon carcinoma cells). After HCT-15 cells were treated with fucoidan, several apoptotic events such as DNA fragmentation, chromatin condensation and increase of the population of sub-G1 hypodiploid cells were observed. In the mechanism of fucoidan-induced apoptosis, we examined changes in Bcl-2 and Bax protein expression levels and activation of caspases. Fucoidan decreased Bcl-2 expression, whereas the expression of Bax was increased in a time-dependent manner compared to the control. In addition, the active forms of caspase-9 and caspase-3 were increased, and the cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), a vital substrate of effector caspase, was observed. Furthermore, the induction of apoptosis was also accompanied by a strong activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and p38 kinase and an inactivation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt in a time-dependent manner. These findings provide evidence demonstrating that the pro-apoptotic effect of fucoidan is mediated through the activation of ERK, p38 and the blocking of the PI3K/Akt signal pathway in HCT-15 cells. These data support the hypothesis that fucoidan may have potential in colon cancer treatment.
School of Medicine, Institute of Medical Sciences, Jeju National University, South Kore.
Jae-Hee
JH
Hyun
Sang-Cheol
SC
Kim
Jung-Il
JI
Kang
Min-Kyoung
MK
Kim
Hye-Jin
HJ
Boo
Jung-Mi
JM
Kwon
Young-Sang
YS
Koh
Jin-Won
JW
Hyun
Deok-Bae
DB
Park
Eun-Sook
ES
Yoo
Hee-Kyoung
HK
Kang
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D053453:Caspase 9 / Q000378:metabolism; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D044645:Fucus / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011065:Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases / Q000378:metabolism; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000378:metabolism; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism
D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D010936:Plant Extracts; D011134:Polysaccharides; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; C007789:fucoidan; D011065:Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D053148:Caspase 3; D053453:Caspase 9