title: Molecular Pathway of Psoralidin-Induced Apoptosis in HepG2 Cell Line.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To test the role of psoralidin in human liver cancer HepG2 cells in vitro.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cell viability was assessed by methylthiazolyldiphenyl-tetrazolum bromide assay and apoptotic cells were labeled by annexin V then sorted by flow cytometry. Protein expressions of caspase-3, caspase-8, caspase-9, Bax, Bid, Bcl-2, Bcl-xL and p53 were examined by western blot while activity of caspase-3, -8 and -9 were also determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Psoralidin reduces cell viability greatly in a time dependent manner (64%, 40%, 21%, 12% at 2, 6, 24 and 48 h treatment with 64 μmol/L psoralidin respectively) and up-regulates activities of caspase-3, -8 and -9 in a concentration dependent manner (between 4 to 64 μmol/L). Psoralidin also increases the expression of pro-apoptosis genes Bax, Bid and p53 while decreases the expression of pro-survival genes Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL, both in a concentration dependent manner between 4 and 64 μmol/L (P<0.05 at 16 and 64 μmol/L). Caspase-3 inhibitor (Ac-DEVD-CHO at concentrations between 10 to 20 μmol/L), p53 inhibitor (pifithrin-α at 5 μmol/L) and cyclosporin A can attenuate the apoptotic effect of psoralidin.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The cytotoxic role of psoralidin might work through both intrinsic and extrinsic apoptotic pathway.
authors.affiliation: School of Integrative Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 300193, China.
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 300193, China.|Department of pharmacy, Gansu Provincial Hospital, Lanzhou, 731600, China.
authors.forename: An-Hong
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 300193, China. z.k.ken@263.net.|Tianjin State Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 300193, China. z.k.ken@263.net.
authors.forename: Kun
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 300193, China.|Tianjin State Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 300193, China.
authors.forename: Li-Juan
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Chai
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan Province, 475004, China.
authors.forename: Lu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D001572:Benzofurans / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects*; D003374:Coumarins / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D056945:Hep G2 Cells; D006801:Humans; D029907:Psoralea / Q000737:chemistry*; D012639:Seeds / Q000737:chemistry*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D001572:Benzofurans; D003374:Coumarins; D020169:Caspases; C102768:psoralidin
keywords: HepG2; apoptosis; cyclosporin A; mitochondria; p53; psoralidin