title: Effect of sun ginseng potentiation on epirubicin and paclitaxel-induced apoptosis in human cervical cancer cells.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sun ginseng (SG), a specific formulation of quality-controlled red ginseng, contains approximately equal amounts of three major ginsenosides (RK1, Rg3, and Rg5), which reportedly has antitumor-promoting activities in animal models.
  
  
  METHODS
  MTT assay was used to assess whether SG can potentiate the anticancer activity of epirubicin or paclitaxel in human cervical adenocarcinoma HeLa cells, human colon cancer SW111C cells, and SW480 cells; apoptosis status was analyzed by annexin V-FITC and PI and analyzed by flow cytometry; and apoptosis pathway was studied by analysis of caspase-3, -8, and -9 activation, mitochondrial accumulation of Bax and Bak, and cytochrome c release.
  
  
  RESULTS
  SG remarkably enhances cancer cell death induced by epirubicin or paclitaxel in human cervical adenocarcinoma HeLa cells, human colon cancer SW111C cells, and SW480 cells. Results of the mechanism study highlighted the cooperation between SG and epirubicin or paclitaxel in activating caspase-3 and -9 but not caspase-8. Moreover, SG significantly increased the mitochondrial accumulation of both Bax and Bak triggered by epirubicin or paclitaxel as well as the subsequent release of cytochrome c in the targeted cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SG significantly potentiated the anticancer activities of epirubicin and paclitaxel in a synergistic manner. These effects were associated with the increased mitochondrial accumulation of both Bax and Bak that led to an enhanced cytochrome c release, caspase-9/-3 activation, and apoptosis. Treating cancer cells by combining epirubicin and paclitaxel with SG may prove to be a novel strategy for enhancing the efficacy of the two drug types.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Molecular Enzymology and Engineering of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China.
authors.forename: Yingjia
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Molecular Enzymology and Engineering of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China.
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Molecular Enzymology and Engineering of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Molecular Enzymology and Engineering of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China.
authors.forename: Xinye
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Molecular Enzymology and Engineering of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China.
authors.forename: Di
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jeong Hill
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Molecular Enzymology and Engineering of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China.
authors.forename: Ying-Hua
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Jin
keywords: apoptosis; caspase-9; sun ginseng; synergistic effect