title: Icariin induces apoptosis in mouse MLTC-10 Leydig tumor cells through activation of the mitochondrial pathway and down-regulation of the expression of piwil4.
abstract: The Leydig cell tumor, derived from interstitial cells, is a rare neoplasm. In most cases, Leydig cell tumors are benign, however, if the tumor is malignant, no effective treatments are currently available. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effects of icariin on the growth of the mouse Leydig tumor cell line MLTC-1 and to examine its underlying mechanism. Icariin caused a dose-dependent decrease in the viability of MLTC-1 cells, which coincided with an increase in cell apoptosis through regulation of the expression of Bcl-2/Bax and cytochrome c, activation of caspase-9 and -3. Moreover, the pro-apoptotic effect of icariin on MLTC-1 cells is related to piwil4, since icariin induced a decrease in piwil4 protein expression and piwil4 silencing significantly enhanced the cytotoxic effects of icariin in MLTC-1 cells. These findings suggest a novel anticancer effect of icariin in Leydig cell tumor through activation of the mitochondrial pathway and down-regulation of the expression of piwil4.
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China.
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hao
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pu
authors.forename: Lina
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Zhilan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Lü
authors.forename: Jiangang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Qiubo
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Yingxiong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D060565:Argonaute Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D053453:Caspase 9 / Q000378:metabolism; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D045304:Cytochromes c / Q000235:genetics; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007984:Leydig Cell Tumor / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000235:genetics; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D060565:Argonaute Proteins; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D005419:Flavonoids; C546575:PIWIL4 protein, mouse; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D045304:Cytochromes c; C505409:Casp3 protein, mouse; C506434:Casp9 protein, mouse; D053148:Caspase 3; D053453:Caspase 9; C056599:icariin