title: Hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cell apoptosis and caspase-8 and Bcl-2 expression induced by injectable seed extract of Coix lacryma-jobi.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Many Chinese herbs, especially herbal injections, have been shown to have anti-tumor effects in recent years. However, since most reports focus on the clinical effectiveness of these herbs, their mechanisms of action are not well understood. In this study, we assessed apoptosis in the hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell line HepG2 induced by an injectable extract from the seed of Coix lacryma-jobi (Semen coicis, SC), and monitored the expression of Bcl-2 and caspase-8.
  
  
  METHODS
  Injectable SC was applied to HepG2 cells at different concentrations and the cells were collected 12, 24 and 48 hours later. 5-fluorouracil was used as a positive control group, and fluorescence-activated cell-sorting cytometry was used to measure the apoptosis rate of HepG2 cells and the expression of Bcl-2 and caspase-8 proteins.
  
  
  RESULTS
  SC induced apoptosis in HepG2 cells in a concentration- and time-dependent manner, and the expression of caspase-8 was elevated and prolonged. However, it did not significantly influence the expression of Bcl-2.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Injectable SC may induce apoptosis in HCC cells by regulating the expression of caspase-8.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Affiliated Medical College Hospital, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266003, China. cloudylucn@126.com
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Bing-Yuan
authors.initials: BY
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Zhuo-Xia
authors.initials: ZX
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.forename: Wen-Jin
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Zheng-Qiao
authors.initials: ZQ
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D053181:Caspase 8 / Q000378:metabolism*; D002469:Cell Separation / Q000379:methods; D031742:Coix; D004304:Dosage Forms; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000494:pharmacology; D056945:Hep G2 Cells; D006801:Humans; D007267:Injections; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D012639:Seeds; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D004304:Dosage Forms; D010936:Plant Extracts; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; C505530:CASP8 protein, human; D053181:Caspase 8; D005472:Fluorouracil