title: Activation of Caspase-9/3 and Inhibition of Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition are Critically Involved in Antitumor Effect of Phytol in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells.
abstract: This study was designed to investigate the antitumor mechanism of Phytol in hepatocellular carcinomas including Huh7 and HepG2 cells in association with caspase dependent apoptosis and epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) signaling. Phytol significantly suppressed the viability of Huh7 and HepG2 cells. Also, Phytol significantly increased the sub G1 population and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end labeling (TUNEL) positive cells in a concentration dependent manner in Huh7 and HepG2 cells. Consistently, Phytol cleaved poly (adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase (PARP), activated caspase-9/3, and Bax attenuated the expression of survival genes such as Bcl-2, Mcl-1, and c-Myc in Huh7 and HepG2 cells. Of note, Phytol also suppressed typical morphology change of EMT such as loss of cell adhesion and formation of fibroblast like mesenchymal cells in HepG2 cells. Furthermore, Phytol also reversed the loss of E-cadherin and overexpression of p-smad2/3, alpha-smooth muscle actin, and Snail induced by EMT promoter transforming growth factor beta1 in HepG2 cells. Overall, our findings suggest that Phytol exerts antitumor activity via apoptosis induction through activation of caspas-9/3 and inhibition of EMT in hepatocellular carcinoma cells as a potent anticancer candidate for liver cancer treatment.
authors.affiliation: College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, 1 Hoegi-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, 131-701, South Korea.
authors.forename: Chul-Woo
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, 1 Hoegi-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, 131-701, South Korea.
authors.forename: Hyun Joo
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, 1 Hoegi-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, 131-701, South Korea.
authors.forename: Ji Hoon
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of East-West Medical Science, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Yoon Hyeon
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, 1 Hoegi-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, 131-701, South Korea.
authors.forename: Deok-Beom
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.affiliation: College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, 1 Hoegi-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, 131-701, South Korea.
authors.forename: Eun Jung
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Sohn
authors.affiliation: College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, 1 Hoegi-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, 131-701, South Korea.
authors.forename: Jang Hoon
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, 1 Hoegi-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, 131-701, South Korea.
authors.forename: Hong Jung
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Woo
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Biotechnology & Institute of Life Sciences and Resources, Kyung Hee University, Yongin, 446-701, South Korea.
authors.forename: Nam-In
authors.initials: NI
authors.lastname: Baek
authors.affiliation: College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, 1 Hoegi-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, 131-701, South Korea.
authors.forename: Young Chul
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, 1 Hoegi-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, 131-701, South Korea.
authors.forename: Sung-Hoon
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000473:pathology*; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D053453:Caspase 9 / Q000378:metabolism; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D058750:Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition / Q000187:drug effects*; D056945:Hep G2 Cells; D006801:Humans; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D010836:Phytol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011065:Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D015820:Cadherins; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D010836:Phytol; D011065:Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases; C505407:CASP3 protein, human; C506433:CASP9 protein, human; D053148:Caspase 3; D053453:Caspase 9
keywords: EMT; hepatocellular carcinoma; Phytol; TGF-β1; caspase-9/3