title: Elm tree bark extract inhibits HepG2 hepatic cancer cell growth via pro-apoptotic activity.
abstract: Control of inflammation is widely accepted as an important strategy for cancer chemoprevention. Anti-inflammatory effects of bark extracts of elm tree (BEE) have been amply reported. Therefore, BEE may be a good candidate cancer chemopreventive agent. Considering the high incidence of hepatic cancer and limited therapeutic approaches for treating this disease, it is important to develop liver cancer-specific chemopreventive agents. To evaluate the chemopreventive potential of BEE, we investigated the growth inhibition effect of BEE on the HepG2 human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line. We performed a cell counting kit-8 assay to determine cell viability, and 4,6-diamino-2-phenylindole staining and flow cytometry to measure apoptotic cell death. Finally, the expression levels of pro- and anti-apoptotic proteins were measured. BEE inhibited the growth of HepG2 cells and induced apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. Pro-apoptotic activity was promoted via the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis, as demonstrated by the activation of pro-apoptotic proteins Bax, caspase-9, caspase-3, and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase as well as the down-regulation of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2. These results suggest that BEE may have potential use in hepatic cancer chemoprevention by suppressing cancer cell growth via pro-apoptotic activity.
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 361-763, Korea.
authors.forename: Tae Myoung
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sang-Kyung
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Tae-Wang
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: So-Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Youm
authors.forename: Dae Joong
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Byeongwoo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ahn
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D053453:Caspase 9 / Q000378:metabolism; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D056945:Hep G2 Cells; D006801:Humans; D007211:Indoles / Q000737:chemistry; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D024301:Plant Bark / Q000737:chemistry; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011065:Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases / Q000378:metabolism; D034403:Ulmus / Q000737:chemistry*; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D007211:Indoles; D010936:Plant Extracts; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; C007293:DAPI; D011065:Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases; D053148:Caspase 3; D053453:Caspase 9