title: Urushiol Induces Apoptosis via a p53-dependent Pathway in Human Gastric Cancer Cells.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Urushiols are mixtures of olefinic catechols which is isolated from the sap of Korean lacquer tree (Rhus vernicifera Stokes). The aim of this study was to determine the anticancer effects of urushiol in human gastric adenocarcinoma cell lines.
  
  
  METHODS
  The cytotoxicity of urushiols was assessed by MTT assays on the two gastric adenocarcinoma cell lines, MKN-45 (wild type of p53) and MKN-28 (mutant type of p53). We also examined the action mechanisms of urushiol by analyzing its effects on cell cycle progression and apoptosis induction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The cytotoxic results from MTT assays indicated that urushiol inhibited human gastric cancer cell growth in a dose-dependent manner, with IC50 values of approximately 15 and 20 μg/ml on MKN-45 and MKN-28 cells, respectively. Urushiol mediated cell death on these two cancer cell lines through different pathways. Urushiol induced apoptosis on MKN-45 cells, concomitant with apoptotic nuclear change, DNA fragmentation, poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage and apoptotic body formation via extrinsic pathway of apoptosis. However, no apoptotic features were induced by urushiol treatment on MKN-28 cells. Urushiol induced cytostatic cell growth inhibition via upregulation of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors, p21 (WAF1/CIP1) and p27 (KIP1) proteins and down-regulation of cyclin-dependent kinase 2 and 4 proteins in a p53-independent manner.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data provide evidence that urushiol has the potential to be used as a chemotherapeutic agent in human gastric cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Molecular Inflammation Research Center for Aging Intervention (MRCA), Pusan National University, Busan.
authors.forename: Seaho
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Molecular Inflammation Research Center for Aging Intervention (MRCA), Pusan National University, Busan.
authors.forename: Dong Hwan
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Molecular Inflammation Research Center for Aging Intervention (MRCA), Pusan National University, Busan.
authors.forename: Sun Hwa
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Molecular Inflammation Research Center for Aging Intervention (MRCA), Pusan National University, Busan.
authors.forename: Min Jeong
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Molecular Inflammation Research Center for Aging Intervention (MRCA), Pusan National University, Busan.
authors.forename: Jeong-Hyun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Molecular Inflammation Research Center for Aging Intervention (MRCA), Pusan National University, Busan.
authors.forename: Hae Young
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: Lifetree Biotech Co., Ltd., Suwon, Korea.
authors.forename: Chun Soo
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Na
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Molecular Inflammation Research Center for Aging Intervention (MRCA), Pusan National University, Busan.
authors.forename: Nam Deuk
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Kim
keywords: Apoptosis; G1 arrest; Gastric cancer cells; Urushiol