title: Scutellaria barbataD. Don inhibits growth and induces apoptosis by suppressing IL-6-inducible STAT3 pathway activation in human colorectal cancer cells.
abstract: One of the most critical cellular signal transduction pathways known to malfunction in colorectal cancer is the interleukin-6/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (IL-6/STAT3) pathway.Scutellaria barbataD. Don (SB) is well-known traditional medicine in China that targets STAT3 signaling, and it has long been used to treat various types of cancer; however, the precise mechanism of its antitumor activity remains largely unclear. In order to further elucidate this underlying mechanism, an ethanol extract of SB (EESB) in cancer treatment. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of EESB on the IL-6-inducible STAT3 pathway. We tested the dose-response association between EESB, IL-6-induced proliferaion and apoptosis using an MTT assay, colony formation and flow cytometry analysisin vitro. In addition, caspase-9 and caspase-3 activation was determined using a colorimetric assay, the activity of IL-6-induced STAT3 pathway was evaluated using western blot analysis, and the expression levels of cyclin D1, cyclin-dependent kinase 4, Bcl2 and Bcl2-associated X were determined using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis. In the present study it was found that EESB could significantly inhibit the IL-6-mediated increase in STAT3 phosphorylation levels and transcriptional activity in HT-29 human colon carcinoma cells, resulting in the suppression of cell proliferation and the induction of apoptosis. In addition, treatment with EESB markedly inhibited the IL-6-induced upregulation of cyclin D1 and B-cell lymphoma-2, two key target genes of the STAT3 pathway. These results suggest that treatment with EESB could effectively inhibit the proliferation and promote the apoptosis of human colon carcinoma cells via modulation of the IL-6/STAT3 signaling pathway and its target genes.
authors.affiliation: Academy of Integrative Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, Fujian 350122, P.R. China ; People's Hospital, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, Fujian 350122, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Qiqin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Academy of Integrative Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, Fujian 350122, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Qiongyu
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Academy of Integrative Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, Fujian 350122, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Hongwei
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Academy of Integrative Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, Fujian 350122, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Aling
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Academy of Integrative Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, Fujian 350122, P.R. China ; Fujian Key Laboratory of Integrative Medicine on Geriatrics, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, Fujian 350122, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Qiaoyan
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.affiliation: Academy of Integrative Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, Fujian 350122, P.R. China ; Fujian Key Laboratory of Integrative Medicine on Geriatrics, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, Fujian 350122, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Jiumao
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Academy of Integrative Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, Fujian 350122, P.R. China ; Fujian Key Laboratory of Integrative Medicine on Geriatrics, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, Fujian 350122, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Peng
keywords: Scutellaria barbata D. Don; apoptosis; colorectal cancer; interleukin-6/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 pathway; proliferation