[Apoptosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells line CNE-2 induced by dihydroartemisinin and its possible mechanism].
OBJECTIVE
Dihydroartemisinin is a traditional anti-malarial drug, a derivative of the artemisinin, it has anti-tumor activity of a variety of tumor cells. This study investigated the effect of growth inhibition of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells line CNE-2 induced by dihydroartemisinin and its possible mechanism.


METHODS
The effect of DHA on the cell proliferation of CNE-2 was detected by CCK-8 assay with different concentrations and time. The effects of DHA on the cell apoptosis of CNE-2 were detected by Annexin V-FITC assay through flow cytometry and caspase-3 activity assay.


RESULTS
CCK-8 experimental results show that CNE-2 cell proliferation was suppressed with DHA treatment, as compared with the control group. DHA could induce marked apoptosis in CNE-2 by apoptosis assay, as compared with the control group, The percentages of apoptotic cells increased along with the increase of DHA concentrations in CNE-2; The activity of caspase-3 was increased following DHA treatment in a dose-dependent manner.


CONCLUSIONS
DHA could effectively inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis of human nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells line CNE-2, the possible mechanism DHA induce apoptosis of CNE-2 cells by upregulating the expression of caspase-3.
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Affliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical College, Zhanjiang 524023, China.
Zhenhe
Z
Huang
Yuefei
Y
Zhang
Donghui
D
Jiang
Xueqin
X
Huang
Bo
B
Huang
Guoqing
G
Luo
D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D037621:Artemisinins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002277:Carcinoma; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D006801:Humans; D000077274:Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*
D037621:Artemisinins; C039060:artenimol; C505407:CASP3 protein, human; D053148:Caspase 3