title: Mechanisms of gambogic acid-induced apoptosis in non-small cell lung cancer cells in relation to transferrin receptors.
abstract: Gambogic acid (GA) is one of the important active ingredients of gamboge. Our study examined the expression of transferrin receptors (TFR) on the cell surface of human lung SPC-A1 and SK-MES-1 cells and measured their GA-induced apoptosis rate. The results showed that SPC-A1 cells with a higher TFR expression were more sensitive at the same GA concentrations. To examine its distribution in cultured cells and study the mechanisms of apoptosis, we labeled GA with a (125)I tracer and examined the expression of apoptosis-related proteins. we found that GA uptake into SPC-A1 cells was higher than into SK-MES-1 cells; apoptosis-related proteins Caspase 2, Caspase 9, Caspase 10, Bax and p53 were involved in GA-induced apoptosis. We conclude that GA has an apoptosis-promoting effect on non small cell lung cancer cells. In clinical practice, the histopathological quantitation of TFR expression levels in tumor tissues may become a predictor of the sensitivity of patients' tumors to GA treatment.
authors.affiliation: Respiratory Diseases Department of Zhongda Hospital of Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoli
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Hongming
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Pingsheng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Min
authors.forename: Zhengzhong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: Bao'an
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002469:Cell Separation; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011990:Receptors, Transferrin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D044004:Xanthones / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D011990:Receptors, Transferrin; D044004:Xanthones; C052659:gambogic acid