title: Fucoxanthin induces apoptosis in human leukemia HL-60 cells through a ROS-mediated Bcl-xL pathway.
abstract: Fucoxanthin, a natural biologically active substance isolated from Ishige okamurae, evidences antitumor activity in human leukemia cell HL-60 cells via the induction of apoptosis. However, the mechanism underlying fucoxanthin-induced apoptosis in HL-60 cells remains unclear. In this study, we focused on the effect of fucoxanthin induction on the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and on the triggering of Bcl-xL signaling pathway in HL-60 cells. We determined that ROS are generated during fucoxanthin-induced cytotoxicity and apoptosis in HL-60 cells, and that N-acetylcysteine (NAC), a ROS scavenger, suppressed fucoxanthin-induced cytotoxicity and apoptosis. Moreover, fucoxanthin-induced the cleavage of caspases -3 and -7, and poly-ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) and a decrease of Bcl-xL levels, whereas NAC pre-treatment significantly inhibited caspase-3, -7, and PARP cleavage and the reduction in Bcl-xL levels. In this study, it was demonstrated for the first time that fucoxanthin generated ROS and that the accumulation of ROS performed a crucial role in the fucoxanthin-induced Bcl-xL signaling pathway.
authors.affiliation: Jeju Biodiversity Research Institute (JBRI), Jeju, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Kil-Nam
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Soo-Jin
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Heo
authors.forename: Sung-Myung
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Ginnae
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.forename: You-Jin
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Jeon
mesh_terms: D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D061945:Caspase Inhibitors; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D004336:Drug Antagonism; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000494:pharmacology; D018922:HL-60 Cells; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D000459:Phaeophyceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D000071137:Poly (ADP-Ribose) Polymerase-1; D011065:Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases / Q000378:metabolism; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D024341:Xanthophylls / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051020:bcl-X Protein / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; C494811:BCL2L1 protein, human; D061945:Caspase Inhibitors; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D010936:Plant Extracts; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D024341:Xanthophylls; D051020:bcl-X Protein; C025164:fucoxanthin; C499320:PARP1 protein, human; D000071137:Poly (ADP-Ribose) Polymerase-1; D011065:Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases; D020169:Caspases; D000111:Acetylcysteine