Induction of apoptosis by total flavonoids from Scutellaria barbata D. Don in human hepatocarcinoma MHCC97-H cells via the mitochondrial pathway.
Scutellaria barbata D. Don, a traditional Chinese medicine, reportedly possesses antitumor activity against a variety of tumors. In the present study, we investigated the cytotoxic effect of total flavonoids from S. barbata (TF-SB) on human hepatocarcinoma cells and the underlying molecular mechanisms regarding the effect were explored. TF-SB treatment significantly reduced the cell viability of human HCC MHCC97-H cells in a dose-dependent manner. Further flow cytometric analysis showed that the apoptosis rate of MHCC97-H cells increased and the mitochondrial membrane potential (∆ψm) of MHCC97-H cells decreased after TF-SB treatment. DNA ladder showed that TF-SB induced a significant increase in DNA fragmentation in MHCC97-H cells. Reverse transcription PCR and Western blot analysis revealed that the expression levels of Smac, Apaf-1, Cytochrome c, Caspase-9, and Caspase-3 were upregulated in a dose-dependent manner and after treatment with different concentrations of TF-SB for 48 h. These results suggest that TF-SB induces apoptosis in MHCC97-H cells through the mitochondrial pathway.
Department of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710004, China.
Jie
J
Gao
Wang-Feng
WF
Lu
Zhi-Jun
ZJ
Dai
Shuai
S
Lin
Yang
Y
Zhao
Sha
S
Li
Nuan-Nuan
NN
Zhao
Xi-Jing
XJ
Wang
Hua-Feng
HF
Kang
Xiao-Bin
XB
Ma
Wang-Gang
WG
Zhang
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis; D015153:Blotting, Western; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D053078:Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D031363:Scutellaria
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D005419:Flavonoids; D010936:Plant Extracts; C524947:Scutellaria barbata extract