Abstract
Objective
To investigate the cellular effects of Pien Tze Huang (片仔癀, PZH) in the HT-29 human colon carcinoma cell line.
Methods
The viability of HT-29 cells was determined by MTT assay. A fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis with annexin-V/propidium iodide (PI) and JC-1 staining were performed to determine cell apoptosis and the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, respectively. Activation of caspase 3 was evaluated by a colorimetric assay. The mRNA expression levels of Bcl-2 and Bax were measured by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).
Results
PZH, in a dose- and timedependent manner, reduced viability and induced apoptosis of HT-29 cells. Moreover, PZH treatment resulted in the collapse of the mitochondrial membrane potential, activation of caspase 3, and an increase in the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio.
Conclusion
PZH inhibits the growth of HT-29 cells by inducing cancer cell apoptosis via regulation of the Bcl-2 family and activation of caspase 3, which may, in part, explain its anticancer activity.
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Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81073097), the Developmental Fund of CHEN Ke-ji Integrative Medicine (No. CKJ 2011001), and the Natural Science Foundation of Fujian Province of China (No. 2010J01195)
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Lin, Jm., Wei, Lh., Chen, Yq. et al. Pien Tze Huang (片仔癀)-induced apoptosis in human colon cancer HT-29 cells is associated with regulation of the Bcl-2 family and activation of caspase 3. Chin. J. Integr. Med. 17, 685–690 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-011-0846-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-011-0846-4