title: Anticancer activity of Saussurea lappa extract by apoptotic pathway in KB human oral cancer cells.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Saussurea lappa Dence (Compositae) is used as a traditional herbal medicine to treat abdominal pain and tenesmus in East Asia. Current studies have shown that S. lappa has anticancer activity in divergent of cancer cells. However, the effects of S. lappa on oral cancer and its mechanisms of action have yet to be elucidated.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To explore its potential chemotherapeutic effects and mechanism of cell growth inhibition on human oral cancer cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  The dried roots of S. lappa were used in this study. Cell viability of KB cells was evaluated by 3-[4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay after treatment with 30 µg/ml of methanol extract from the dried roots of S. lappa. To understand whether its effect on cell death is related with apoptosis pathway, we performed DNA fragmentation assay, western blot, caspase activity assay and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Treatment of S. lappa extract onto KB cells reduced cell viability significantly with an IC50 value of 30 µg/ml. The formation of a DNA ladder was observed starting at the 24 h treatment. In western blotting analysis, the S. lappa extract induced the proteolytic processing of caspase-3, -9 and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase, a significant increase of Bax and marked reduction of Bcl-2. We also confirmed the activation of caspase-3/-7 in living KB cells by fluorescence microscopy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggested that S. lappa extract inhibited cell proliferation through the apoptosis pathway in KB human oral cancer cells.
authors.affiliation: Oral Biology Research Institute, Chosun University , Dong-Gu, Gwangju , Republic of Korea .
authors.forename: Sung-Min
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.forename: Sang Joon
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Yun
authors.forename: Joong-Ki
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Kook
authors.forename: Heung-Joong
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Mi Suk
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Bo Ram
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Su-Gwan
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Byung-Ock
authors.initials: BO
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sook-Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hoon
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.forename: Hong Sung
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Chun
authors.forename: Do Kyung
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Chun Sung
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D053179:Caspase 7 / Q000378:metabolism; D053453:Caspase 9 / Q000378:metabolism; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006801:Humans; D007624:KB Cells; D000432:Methanol / Q000737:chemistry; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018517:Plant Roots; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D011065:Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases / Q000378:metabolism; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D030441:Saussurea / Q000737:chemistry; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D012997:Solvents / Q000737:chemistry; D013997:Time Factors; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; C494826:BAX protein, human; D010936:Plant Extracts; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D012997:Solvents; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D011065:Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases; C505407:CASP3 protein, human; C505520:CASP7 protein, human; C506433:CASP9 protein, human; D053148:Caspase 3; D053179:Caspase 7; D053453:Caspase 9; D000432:Methanol