title: [Pro-apoptotic effects of luteolin on hepatoma HepG2 cells].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effect of luteolin on cell growth and apoptosis of HepG2 cells in vitro.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cultured HepG2,HL60,A549 and LO2 cells were treated with luteolin for different doses (0 μg/ml,2.5 μg/ml,10 μg/ml and 20 μg/ml) and varied times (0 h,24 h,48 h and 72 h). Cell viability was measured with MTT assay and IC50 was calculated. The reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in HepG2 cells treated with luteolin for 6 h and 12 h were measured with flow cytometry. Cell apoptosis of HepG2 cells treated with luteolin for 24h was examined with flow cytometry and Annexin V-FITC/PI. Expression levels of apoptosis pathway proteins (p53,ASPP2 and iASPP) in HepG2 cells were detected with western blot and the dose and time-effect was analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Luteolin effectively inhibited tumor cell proliferation in a dose-and time-dependent manner,and the inhibition rates of 20 μg/ml Luteolin for 72 h were 39.34%,62.90%,57.57% and 62.90% to LO2,HepG2, HL60 and A549 cells,respectively. The intracellular ROS level was decreased in HepG2 cells by 13.88% and 41.11% after being treated with luteolin for 6 h and 12 h,respectively. The apoptosis rate of HepG2 cells treated with luteolin for 24 h was 14.43%,and western blot showed that luteolin reduced the expression level of iASPP by 77.07% and up-regulated the expression of p53 by 179.37% and ASPP2 by 725.02% in HepG2 cells treated with luteolin for 12 h.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Luteolin has ant-proliferative and pro-apoptotic activity on hepatoma HepG2 cells, which is associated with the altered expression of pro-apoptotic factors and decreased ROS level in HepG2 cells.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biochemistry, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
authors.forename: Yuan-Peng
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Xing-Guo
authors.initials: XG
authors.lastname: Gong
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D056945:Hep G2 Cells; D006801:Humans; D047311:Luteolin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D047311:Luteolin