title: Anti-lipoapoptotic effect of Artemisia capillaris extract on free fatty acids-induced HepG2 cells.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Artemisia capillaris (AC) has been recognized as one of the promising candidates for hepatoprotective, hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, antiobesitic and anti-inflammatory therapeutic effectiveness. This study evaluated the inherent mechanism and anti-apoptotic activity of 30% ethanol extract of AC (AC extract) 100 μg/ml on free fatty acids (FFAs)-induced HepG2 cellular steatosis and lipoapoptosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hepatic steatosis was induced by culturing HepG2 cells with a FFAs mixture (oleic and palmitic acid at the proportion of 2:1) for 24 h, thus ultimately giving rise to lipoapoptosis. Cell viability and lipid accumulation were detected by MTT assay and Oil Red O staining method respectively and Caspase-3, -9, Bax, Bcl-2, p-JNK and PUMA were measured for lipoapoptosis after 24 hours.
  
  
  RESULTS
  AC extract significantly improved the FFAs-induced steatosis without cytotoxicity and Caspase-3, -9, Bax and Bcl-2 were modulated profitably to HepG2 cells after AC treatment. In addition, AC extract inhibited the activation of c-Jun NH2 terminal kinase (JNK) and PUMA, which mechanism is related to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Combined together, AC extract exerted an obvious hypolipidemic and anti-apoptotic effect, indicating that AC extract might have potential therapeutic herb against NASH.
authors.forename: Eungyeong
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.forename: Min-Hee
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Ki-Suk
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Yoomi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Yun-Cheol
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Na
authors.forename: Hong-Jung
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Woo
authors.forename: Youngchul
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: College of Korean Medicine, Institute of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Hoegi-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul 130-701, Republic of Korea. komclive@khmc.or.kr.
authors.forename: Jang-Hoon
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hyeung-Jin
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Jang
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D019306:Artemisia / Q000737:chemistry*; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000378:metabolism; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D056945:Hep G2 Cells; D006801:Humans; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D050356:Lipid Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects*; D008954:Models, Biological; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; C438378:BBC3 protein, human; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified; D010936:Plant Extracts; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D020169:Caspases