beta-Glucan enhanced apoptosis in human colon cancer cells SNU-C4.
The apoptotic effect of bacteria-derived beta-glucan was investigated in human colon cancer cells SNU-C4 using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) expressions of Bcl-2, Bax, and Caspase-3 genes, and assay of caspase-3 enzyme activity. beta-Glucan of 10, 50, and 100 microg/mL decreased cell viability in a dose-dependent manner with typical apoptotic characteristics, such as morphological changes of chromatin condensation and apoptotic body formation from TUNEL assay. In addition, beta-glucan (100 microg/mL) decreased the expression of Bcl-2 by 0.6 times, whereas the expression of Bax and Caspase-3 were increased by 3.1 and 2.3 times, respectively, compared to untreated control group. Furthermore, the caspase-3 activity in the beta-glucan-treated group was significantly increased compared to those in control group (P < 0.05). Bacterial derived beta-glucan could be used as an effective compound inducing apoptosis in human colon cancer.
Kim
Mi-Ja
MJ
Department of Food and Nutrition, Dongduk Women's University, 23-1 Wolgok-dong Sungbuk-gu, Seoul 136-714, Korea.
Hong
Se-Young
SY
Kim
Sun-Kyu
SK
Cheong
Chul
C
Park
Hong-Ju
HJ
Chun
Hye-Kyung
HK
Jang
Ki-Hyo
KH
Yoon
Byung-Dae
BD
Kim
Chul-Ho
CH
Kang
Soon Ah
SA