title: Celastrol induces mitochondria-mediated apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma Bel-7402 cells.
abstract: Celastrol is a natural terpenoid isolated from Tripterygium wilfordii, a well-known Chinese medicinal herb that presents anti-proliferative activities in several cancer cell lines. Here, we investigated whether celastrol induces apoptosis on hepatocellular carcinoma Bel-7402 cells and further explored the underlying molecular mechanisms. Celastrol caused a dose- and time-dependent growth inhibition and apoptosis of Bel-7402 cells. It increased apoptosis through the up-regulation of Bax and the down-regulation of Bcl-2 in Bel-7402 cells. Moreover, celastrol induced the release of cytochrome c and increased the activation of caspase-3 and caspase-9, suggesting that celastrol-induced apoptosis was related to the mitochondrial pathway. These results indicated that celastrol could induce apoptosis in Bel-7402 cells, which may be associated with the activation of the mitochondria-mediated pathway.
authors: Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, Anhui, P.R. China.
authors: Pei-Pei
authors: PP
authors: Li
authors: Wei
authors: W
authors: He
authors: Ping-Fan
authors: PF
authors: Yuan
authors: Sha-Sha
authors: SS
authors: Song
authors: Jing-Tao
authors: JT
authors: Lu
authors: Wei
authors: W
authors: Wei
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D053453:Caspase 9 / Q000378:metabolism; D045304:Cytochromes c / Q000378:metabolism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D008930:Mitochondria, Liver / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D053978:Pentacyclic Triterpenes; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D029757:Tripterygium / Q000737:chemistry; D014315:Triterpenes / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C494826:BAX protein, human; D053978:Pentacyclic Triterpenes; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D014315:Triterpenes; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D045304:Cytochromes c; D053148:Caspase 3; D053453:Caspase 9; C050414:celastrol
keywords: Apoptosis; Celastrol; Mitochondria-mediated pathway