title: Inhibitory effect of bufalin on retinoblastoma cells (HXO-RB44) via the independent mitochondrial and death receptor pathway.
abstract: Cinobufacini (Huachansu) is a Chinese medicine prepared from the skin ofBufo bufo gargarizansCantor (Bufonidae), and has long been used in traditional Chinese medicine. In the present study, the anti-retinoblastoma constituent bufalin obtained from Cinobufacini was investigated. Treatment of human retinoblastoma (HXO-RB44) cells with bufalin induced apoptosis which was accompanied by a decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential, activation of caspase-9, caspase-8 and caspase-3, as well as changes in the expression of cytochrome C. Bufalin induced the cleavage of caspase-3 and apoptosis, and it was inhibited by both Z-LETD-FMK and Z-IETD-FMK treatment. Taken together, these results demonstrate that bufalin-induced apoptosis in human retinoblastoma (HXO-RB44) cells involved both intrinsic and extrinsic pathways.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University Harbin 150001, Heilongjiang Province, China.
authors.forename: Qingfeng
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.affiliation: Department of Allergy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University Harbin 150001, Heilongjiang Province, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Allergy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University Harbin 150001, Heilongjiang Province, China.
authors.forename: LiXin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: An
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioinformatic, The Harbin Medical University Harbin 150086, Heilongjiang Province, China.
authors.forename: Xia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University Harbin 150001, Heilongjiang Province, China.
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Liu
keywords: Apoptosis; bufalin; mitochondrial transmembrane potential; retinoblastoma