A methylene chloride fraction of Saururus chinensis induces apoptosis through the activation of caspase-3 in prostate and breast cancer cells.
The aerial parts of Saururus chinensis (SC) have been used for the treatment of edema, fever, jaundice, and inflammatory diseases in Korean folk medicine for centuries. However, the mechanism by which SC exerts these anti-tumorigenic activities in human prostate and breast cancer cells has not yet been fully understood. In this study, we report on the methylene chloride fraction from SC exerting cytotoxicity against prostate and breast cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner. Specifically, SC exerted the most potent cytotoxicity in LNCaP and MCF-7 cells. SC was shown to down-regulate various angiogenetic (VEGF), proliferative (Cyclin D₁, anti-apoptotic (Bcl-2) gene products in these cells. SC also increased the number of annexin V-positive apoptotic bodies and the sub-G1 DNA contents of the cell cycle undergoing apoptosis through caspase-3 activation in both LNCaP and MCF-7 cells. We further confirmed that caspase-3 plays an important role in SC-induced apoptosis in LNCaP and MCF-7 cells through the use of the caspase-3 inhibitor. Moreover, we observed that SC potentiated paclitaxel-induced apoptosis in MCF-7 cells and sauchinone is a major active constituent of SC, which could induce apoptosis in the cells. Taken together, our data provide the evidence that SC induces apoptosis depending on caspase-3 activation and overcomes the natural biological resistance to chemotherapy found in human prostate and breast cancer cells.
Department of Oriental Pathology, College of Oriental Medicine and Institute of Oriental Medicine, Kyung Hee University, 1 Hoegi-Dong Dongdaemun-Gu, Seoul 130-701, Republic of Korea.
Han-Young
HY
Kim
Tae Won
TW
Choi
Hyun Jung
HJ
Kim
Sung-Moo
SM
Kim
Kyung-Ran
KR
Park
Hyeung-Jin
HJ
Jang
Eun Ha
EH
Lee
Chul Young
CY
Kim
Sang Hoon
SH
Jung
Bum Sang
BS
Shim
Kwang Seok
KS
Ahn
D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D019254:Genes, bcl-2 / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008518:Medicine, East Asian Traditional; D008752:Methylene Chloride / Q000737:chemistry; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry; D032134:Saururaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics
D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D010936:Plant Extracts; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D008752:Methylene Chloride; D053148:Caspase 3