title: Anti-tumor effect of hot aqueous extracts from Sonchus oleraceus (L.) L. and Juniperus sabina L - Two traditional medicinal plants in China.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sonchus oleraceus (L.) L (SO) and Juniperus sabina L (JS) are traditional medicinal plants in China. And the aqueous extracts of them have been used to treat tumor, inflammatory diseases, infection and so on in Chinese folk culture. However, the underlying mechanisms of their anti-tumor activities have not been illustrated yet.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study aims to evaluate the inhibitory effects of aqueous extracts from SO and JS on tumor cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  The prepared aqueous extracts of SO and JS were used to treat HepG-2 and K562 tumor cells, while the human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were set as normal control. The viabilities, cell cycle and apoptosis of tumor cells after extracts treatment were assessed, in addition the expression of apoptosis-related genes (FasL, caspase 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10) were analyzed. Meanwhile, the adherence and migration of HepG-2 were tested, and the expression levels of MMPs and ICAM-1 were analyzed. On top of that, the pSTAT in the two cells were also analyzed and suggested the related signaling pathway that the extracts acted on with in these tumor cells.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results showed that aqueous extracts of SO and JS have inhibitory effects on HepG-2 and K562 cells by decreasing cell viability and inducing apoptosis via up-regulation of the expression of the apoptosis-related genes FasL, caspase 3 and caspase 9. The extracts had different IC50 on tumor cells and PBMCs, which could block the tumor cell cycle at the G(0)/G(1) stage and significantly inhibit the adherence of HepG-2 cells. The extracts inhibited migration of these cells by inhibiting the expression of ICAM-1, MMP-2 and MMP-9. Further study indicated that the inhibition of pSTAT1 and 3 might be responsible for the inhibitory effects of the extracts on tumor cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study indicated that SO and JS extracts had the anti-tumor effects, which may be developed as novel anti-tumor drugs and used in cancer therapy.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Space Bioscience and Space Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, 127 YouyiXilu, Xi'an 710072, Shaanxi, PR China.
authors.forename: Ting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Huyan
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Space Bioscience and Space Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, 127 YouyiXilu, Xi'an 710072, Shaanxi, PR China. Electronic address: liqi_1111@nwpu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Space Bioscience and Space Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, 127 YouyiXilu, Xi'an 710072, Shaanxi, PR China.
authors.forename: Yi-Lin
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Space Bioscience and Space Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, 127 YouyiXilu, Xi'an 710072, Shaanxi, PR China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Space Bioscience and Space Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, 127 YouyiXilu, Xi'an 710072, Shaanxi, PR China.
authors.forename: Jian-Yang
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Space Bioscience and Space Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, 127 YouyiXilu, Xi'an 710072, Shaanxi, PR China.
authors.forename: Ya-Xiong
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Space Bioscience and Space Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, 127 YouyiXilu, Xi'an 710072, Shaanxi, PR China.
authors.forename: Muhammad Riaz
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Shahid
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Space Bioscience and Space Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, 127 YouyiXilu, Xi'an 710072, Shaanxi, PR China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Desert Plants & Ecological Civilization Research Center, Northwest University, 229 Tai Bai North road, Xi'an 710069, Shaanxi, PR China.
authors.forename: Huan-Qing
authors.initials: HQ
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002681:China; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D056945:Hep G2 Cells; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D018653:Juniperus / Q000737:chemistry*; D020014:K562 Cells; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry*; D031184:Sonchus / Q000737:chemistry*; D015854:Up-Regulation; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D010936:Plant Extracts; D014867:Water
keywords: Apoptosis; Caspase; Inhibition effects; Juniperus sabina L; Sonchus oleraceus (L.) L.; pSTATs