title: [Effect of apigenin on proliferation and apoptosis of human lung cancer NCI-H460 cells].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the effect of apigenin on the proliferation and apoptosis of human lung cancer cell line NCI-H460.
  
  
  METHODS
  NCI-H460 cells were cultured with different concentrations of apigenin, and MTT assay was used to evaluate the cell inhibition rates. Apoptosis of NCI-H460 cells was observed under a fluorescence microscope with Hoechst 33258 staining and quantified by flow cytometry using annexin V-FITC/PI stain. The expressions of apoptosis-related proteins Bax, Bcl-2 and caspase-3 were analyzed by Western blotting.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Apigenin causes concentration- and time-dependent inhibition of the proliferation of the cells. NCI-H460 cells treated with apigenin showed significant morphological changes of apoptosis, and the cell apoptotic rates increased as apigenin concentration increased. Western blotting demonstrated that apigenin increased the protein levels of Bax and caspase-3 and reduced the protein expression of Bcl-2.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Apigenin can inhibit the proliferation and induce apoptosis of NCI-H460 cells possibly by up-regulating expression of Bax and caspase-3 and down-regulating the expression of Bcl-2.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, New Drug Screening and Pharmacodynamics Evaluation Center, College of Pharmacy, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, China. E-mail: panxuediao@126.com.
authors.forename: Xuediao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Zhouping
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Zhiying
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Sigui
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Haitao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Linquan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zang
mesh_terms: D047310:Apigenin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C494826:BAX protein, human; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D047310:Apigenin; C505407:CASP3 protein, human; D053148:Caspase 3