title: Baicalin induces apoptosis of gallbladder carcinoma cells in vitro via a mitochondrial-mediated pathway and suppresses tumor growth in vivo.
abstract: Baicalin, the main active ingredient in the Scutellaria baicalensis (SB), is prescribed for the treatment of various inflammatory diseases and tumors in clinics in China. In the present study, we evaluated the antitumor activity of baicalin for gallbladder carcinoma and the underlying mechanisms both in vitro and in vivo. Our results indicate that baicalin induced potent growth inhibition, cell cycle arrest, apoptosis and colony-formation inhibition in a dose-dependent manner in vitro. We observed inhibition of NF-κB nuclear translocation, up-regulation of Bax and down-regulation of Bcl-2, as well as increased caspase-3 and caspase-9 expression after baicalin treatment in vitro and in vivo, which indicates that the mitochondrial pathway was involved in baicalin-induced apoptosis. In addition, daily intraperitoneally injection of baicalin (15, 30 and 60 mg/kg) for 21 days significantly inhibited the growth of NOZ cells xenografts in nude mice, which improved the survival of baicalin-treated mice. In summary, baicalin exhibited a significant anti-tumor effect by suppressing cell proliferation, promoting apoptosis, and inducing cell cycle arrest in vitro, and by suppressing tumor growth and improving survival in vivo, which suggested that baicalin represents a novel therapeutic option for gallbladder carcinoma.
authors.forename: Yi-Jun
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Shu
authors.forename: Run-Fa
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Bao
authors.forename: Xiang-Song
authors.initials: XS
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Weng
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Mao-Lan
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jia-Sheng
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Mu
authors.forename: Wen-Guang
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Qi-Chen
authors.initials: QC
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: Tian-Yu
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Yun-Ping
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Zhu-Jun
authors.initials: ZJ
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of General Surgery and Department of General Surgery, Xinhua Hospital, Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, No. 1665 Kongjiang Road, Shanghai 200092, China. liuybphd@126.com.
authors.forename: Ying-Bin
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D059447:Cell Cycle Checkpoints / Q000187:drug effects; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D019925:Cyclin A / Q000378:metabolism; D056744:Cyclin B1 / Q000378:metabolism; D019938:Cyclin D1 / Q000378:metabolism; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005706:Gallbladder Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D064593:Heterografts; D006801:Humans; D053078:Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial / Q000187:drug effects; D008819:Mice, Nude; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism*; D009336:Necrosis; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D019925:Cyclin A; D056744:Cyclin B1; D005419:Flavonoids; D019938:Cyclin D1; C038044:baicalin