title: Agrimonia pilosa ethanol extract induces apoptotic cell death in HepG2 cells.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Agrimonia pilosa (AP) has been used as a traditional herbal medicine for treating various cancers and diseases in Asian countries.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cell viability along with caspase-3/-7, caspase-8 and caspase-9 activity were measured to detect apoptosis. The activity of the apoptotic factors bcl-2, bcl-xl, mcl-1, XIAP, BID, BIK, caspase-3, caspase-9 and PARP were measured by Western blotting. FACS analysis was used to analyze the cell cycle.
  
  
  RESULTS
  APE inhibited the proliferation of HepG2 cells. Growth inhibition was associated with increased caspase activity and sub-G1 apoptotic fractions. When we measured the affect of APE on intracellular signaling, APE stimulated the apoptotic factors bcl-2, bcl-xl, mcl-1, XIAP, BID, BIK, caspase-3, caspase-9 and PARP in HepG2 cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results indicate that APE induces programmed cell death (apoptosis) in HepG2 cells and demonstrates one of the mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effects of the extract reported in previous studies.
authors.affiliation: Center of Herbal Resources Research, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon 305-811, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Kyoung Jin
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Nho
authors.forename: Jin Mi
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Chun
authors.forename: Ho Kyoung
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D031981:Agrimonia / Q000737:chemistry*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D000431:Ethanol / Q000737:chemistry; D056945:Hep G2 Cells; D006801:Humans; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts; D000431:Ethanol; D020169:Caspases