title: Apoptotic and anti-angiogenic effects of Pulsatilla koreana extract on hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: Chemoprevention through the use of food and plants has emerged as a novel             approach to control various malignancies including cancer. Pulsatilla koreana             extract (PKE) has been used to treat malaria and dysentery. The functions and             effect of PKE in cancer treatment have been reported but with less information.             In this study, we investigated the effect of PKE on the progression of hepatocellular             carcinoma (HCC) cells and its mechanism. PKE strongly suppressed the growth of             HCC cells in a dose-dependent manner. Apoptosis by PKE was observed by DAPI and             TUNEL staining and accompanied with increases of cleaved PARP and caspase-3 in             Huh-7 cells. Also, PKE decreased the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF-1α)             and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and inhibited tube formation and             migration of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). In addition, PKE             potently suppressed in vivo neovascularization in a mouse Matrigel plug assay.             Furthermore, in vivo study showed that PKE significantly inhibited tumor growth             in a mouse xenograft model, and induced apoptosis by increasing the cleaved PARP             and caspase-3. The expressions of Ki-67, VEGF, and CD31 in the tumor tissue were             decreased by the treatment of PKE. Taken together, our study demonstrates that             PKE not only induced apoptosis but also inhibited cell growth and angiogenesis             of human HCC. We suggest that PKE is an effective chemotherapeutic candidate for             cancer therapy against HCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Inha                     University, 3-ga, Sinheung-dong, Jung-gu, Incheon 400-712, Republic of                     Korea.
authors.forename: Sang-Won
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Kyung Hee
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Hee-Seung
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Myung-Joo
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Hong-Mei
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Mi Kwon
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Son
authors.forename: Guang-Yong
authors.initials: GY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Soon-Sun
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Hong
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use / Q000652:urine; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000187:drug effects; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D056945:Hep G2 Cells; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018517:Plant Roots; D031946:Pulsatilla; D047368:Tumor Burden / Q000187:drug effects; D023041:Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
chemical_list: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D010936:Plant Extracts