title: Bovine lactoferricin P13 triggers ROS-mediated caspase-dependent apoptosis in SMMC7721 cells.
abstract: Bovine lactoferricin P13 (LfcinB-P13) is a peptide derived from LfcinB. In the present study, the effect of LfcinB-P13 on the human liver cancer cell line SMMC7721 was investigatedin vitroandin vivo. The results of the present study indicate that LfcinB-P13 significantly decreased SMMC7721 cell viabilityin vitro(P=0.032 vs. untreated cells), while exhibiting low cytotoxicity in the wild-type liver cell line L02. In addition, the rate of apoptosis in SMMC7721 cells was significantly increased following treatment with 40 and 60 µg/ml LfcinB-P13 (P=0.0053 vs. the control group), which was associated with an increase in the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the activation of caspase-3 and -9. Furthermore, ROS chelation led to the suppression of LfcinB-P13-mediated caspase-3 and -9 activation in SMMC7721 cells. LfcinB-P13 was demonstrated to markedly inhibit tumor growth in an SMMC7721-xenograft nude mouse model. The results of the present study indicate that LfcinB-P13 is a novel candidate therapeutic agent for the treatment of liver cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatic Surgery and Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Provincial Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230001, P.R. China; Department of General Surgery, Anhui Provincial Children's Hospital, Beijing Children's Hospital Group, Hefei, Anhui 230051, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Lixiang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatic Surgery and Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Provincial Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230001, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Geliang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatic Surgery and Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Provincial Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230001, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Jiansheng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatic Surgery and Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Provincial Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230001, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Wenbin
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatic Surgery and Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Provincial Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230001, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Weidong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatic Surgery and Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Provincial Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230001, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Jinliang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Anhui Provincial Children's Hospital, Beijing Children's Hospital Group, Hefei, Anhui 230051, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Decheng
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wei
keywords: apoptosis; bovine lactoferricin P13; caspase-3; caspase-9; hepatocellular carcinoma; reactive oxygen species