title: Kaempferol increases apoptosis in human cervical cancer HeLa cells via PI3K/AKT and telomerase pathways.
abstract: Cervical cancer is one of the most frequent cancers in women worldwide. Defects in the apoptotic pathways are responsible for both the disease pathogenesis and its therapy resistance. It is thus a good candidate for treatment by pro-apoptotic agents. Kaempferol as a flavonoid has antioxidant and anti-tumor properties. Kaempferol has been shown to induce apoptosis and cell death in cancer cells. However, due to the problems in the treatment of cervical cancer, this study is designed to investigate the molecular mechanism by which kaempferol suppresses the growth of cervical cancer HeLa cell as compared with HFF cells (normal cells). Cells treated with kaempferol (12-100μM) and 5-FU (1-10μM), as the positive control, up to 72h. Cell viability was determined by MTT assay and real time PCR was used to investigate apoptosis and telomerase genes expression. The results showed that kaempferol decreased cell viability as concentration- and time-dependently. IC50values were 10.48μM for HeLa and 707.00μM for HFF cells, as compared with 1.40μM and 16.38μM for 5-FU after 72h treatment, respectively. Also, kaempferol induced cellular apoptosis and aging through down-regulating the PI3K/AKT and hTERT pathways. This study suggests that kaempferol may be a useful adjuvant therapeutic agent in the treatment of cervical cancer.
authors.affiliation: Food and Drug Department, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Jahrom, Iran.
authors.forename: Elham
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kashafi
authors.affiliation: Department of New Sciences and Technology, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Maliheh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moradzadeh
authors.affiliation: Liver and Pancreatobiliary Diseases Research Center, Digestive Disease Research Institute, Shariati Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Ashraf
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mohamadkhani
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Non Communicable Diseases, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Motahari Avenue, Jahrom, Iran. Electronic address: erfanian_85@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Saiedeh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Erfanian
mesh_terms: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000187:drug effects; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D044949:Kaempferols / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051058:Oncogene Protein v-akt / Q000187:drug effects*; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000187:drug effects*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects*; D019098:Telomerase / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D044949:Kaempferols; C006552:kaempferol; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D051058:Oncogene Protein v-akt; D019098:Telomerase
keywords: Apoptosis; Cervical cancer; Kaempferol; PI3K/AKT signaling cascade; Telomerase