title: Apoptosis mechanism of human cholangiocarcinoma cells induced by bile extract from crocodile.
abstract: Animal bile is popularly used as a traditional medicine in China, and bile acids are their major bioactive constituents. In the present study, effects of bile extract from crocodile gallbladder on QBC939 cell growth, cell cycle, and apoptosis were investigated by MTT assay, inverted microscopy, fluorescence microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, PI single- and FITC/PI double-staining flow cytometry, and western blotting. Our data have revealed that bile extract inhibited cells growth significantly, and the cell cycle was arrested in G1 phase. Bile extract induced QBC939 cell apoptosis, which was associated with collapse of the mitochondrial membrane potential and increase of ROS. In bile extract-treated cells, it was observed that the expression of bcl-2 decreased and cytochrome c released to cytosol, but the expression of bax remained unchanged. The data indicated that mitochondrial pathway might play an important role in bile extract-induced apoptosis in QBC939 cells. These results provide significant insight into the anticarcinogenic action of bile extract on cholangiocarcinoma cells.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems, School of Life Sciences, College of Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China.
authors.forename: Jin-He
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Wen-Qing
authors.initials: WQ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Dong-Yan
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Shan-Shan
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Ge
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: You-Xiong
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Xiong
authors.forename: Qing-Xi
authors.initials: QX
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000489:Alligators and Crocodiles; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D001646:Bile / Q000737:chemistry*; D001650:Bile Duct Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D018281:Cholangiocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D045424:Complex Mixtures / Q000494:pharmacology*; D045304:Cytochromes c / Q000032:analysis; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D016193:G1 Phase / Q000187:drug effects; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D053078:Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial / Q000187:drug effects; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D045424:Complex Mixtures; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D045304:Cytochromes c; D053148:Caspase 3