Emodin induces apoptosis through caspase 3-dependent pathway in HK-2 cells

Emodin (1,3,8-trihydroxy-6-methylanthraquinone) is a major constituent of rhubarb. Although it has been claimed to have a wild spectrum of therapeutic value, its side effects, especially in human kidney cells have not been well characterized. In the present study, we treated human proximal tubular epithelial cell line HK-2 cells with emodin in vitro and evaluated its toxic effects with cell viability, cell cycle phases and induction of apoptosis/necrosis and activity of caspase 3. The proliferation of HK-2 cells was inhibited by emodin in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Cell cycle analysis revealed that HK-2 cells were locked in G1 phase by emodin as for 12h. Apoptosis was supported by the Annexin V/propidium iodide (PI) assay and the occurrence of a sub-G1 peak. Emodin caused an increase in caspase 3-like activities and a caspase 3 inhibitor, Ac-DEVD-CHO, attenuated the apoptosis. These results suggested that HK-2 cells are sensitive to emodin-induced cytotoxic effects, which are mediated through the induction of apoptosis in caspase 3-dependent pathway.     

Caspase 3 is involved in the apoptosis induced by triptolide in HK-2 cells

Triptolide, a main active component extracted from the traditional Chinese herbal medicine, Tripterygium wilfordii Hook. f (TWHf), has been shown to possess potent immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory properties. However, the toxicity of triptolide limits its clinical applications. Here we treated the human proximal tubular epithelial cell line HK-2 cells with triptolide in vitro and investigated its toxic effects. The cytotoxicity was measured by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay for viability inhibition and annexin V/propidium iodide (PI) staining for apoptosis/necrosis. The activation of caspase 3 was analyzed by Western Blotting. MTT assay showed triptolide inhibited the viability of HK-2 cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Flow cytometry assay showed triptolide caused apoptosis rather than necrosis in HK-2 cells by staining with annexin V/PI. Furthermore, the increase of cleaved p17 fragment, an active form of caspase 3, was detected. These results suggested that triptolide is able to cause cytotoxicity on HK-2 cells, and the mechanism of which is associated with caspase 3.     

Protective effect of BMP-7 against aristolochic acid-induced renal tubular epithelial cell injury

Aristolochic acid nephropathy (AAN) is regarded as a kind of rapidly progressive renal fibrosis caused by the ingestion of herbal remedies containing aristolochic acid (AA). Recent studies showed that bone morphogenetic protein-7 (BMP-7) exerts beneficial effects on acute and chronic kidney injuries induced by different pathological conditions. We examined whether BMP-7 protects human renal tubular epithelial cells (HK-2) against AA-induced injury in vitro. HK-2 cells were cultured with different concentrations of AA and BMP-7 for 48 h. Cell viability was determined by Cell Counting Kit-8 assay and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release. The apoptosis rate and the activity of caspase 3 protease were also examined. Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) was determined by cell morphology, E-cadherin and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) protein expression, and TGF-β₁ and collagen III secretion. Additionally, the effect of anti-TGF-β1 antibody on AA-induced EMT was assessed. Our results indicated that BMP-7 significantly increased cell proliferation, decreased apoptosis rate and attenuated activation of caspase-3, resulting in the protection of HK-2 cells from AA-induced cytotoxicity. In addition, studies on EMT revealed that BMP-7 could inhibit AA-induced myofibroblast phenotype and restored the epithelial morphology in a dose-dependent manner. It was partially through reducing the activation of a myofibroblast phenotype and production TGF-β1. Treatment with neutralizing anti-TGF-β1 antibody also blocked AA-induced EMT and collagen III secretion. Together, these observations strongly suggest that BMP-7 is a potent inhibitor of AA-induced renal tubular epithelial cell injury and might be a promising agent for aristolochic acid-induced kidney damage.     

New aristolochic acid, aristololactam and renal cytotoxic constituents from the stem and leaves of Aristolochia contorta

Two novel phenanthrene derivatives, aristololactam IVa (1) and 9-hydroxy aristolochic acid I (2) were isolated from the stem and leaves of Anstolochia contorta Bunge, together with 17 known compounds (3-19). The structures of these compounds were determined by spectroscopic analysis. The phenanthrenes obtained were tested for cytotoxicity against renal proximal tubular epithelial cell line (HK-2). Aristololactam IVa and 7-methoxy aristololactam IV were found to have strong cytotoxic activity against HK-2 cells with a potency similar to or even stronger than those of aristolochic acid I and aristololactam I.     

Role of mitochondrial permeability transition in human renal tubular epithelial cell death induced by aristolochic acid

Aristolochic acid (AA), a natural nephrotoxin and carcinogen, can induce a progressive tubulointerstitial nephropathy. However, the mechanism by which AA causes renal injury remains largely unknown. Here we reported that the mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT) plays an important role in the renal injury induced by aristolochic acid I (AAI). We found that in the presence of Ca(2+), AAI caused mitochondrial swelling, leakage of Ca(2+), membrane depolarization, and release of cytochrome c in isolated kidney mitochondria. These alterations were suppressed by cyclosporin A (CsA), an agent known to inhibit MPT. Culture of HK-2 cell, a human renal tubular epithelial cell line for 24 h with AAI caused a decrease in cellular ATP, mitochondrial membrane depolarization, cytochrome c release, and increase of caspase 3 activity. These toxic effects of AAI were attenuated by CsA and bongkrekic acid (BA), another specific MPT inhibitor. Furthermore, AAI greatly inhibited the activity of mitochondrial adenine nucleotide translocator (ANT) in isolated mitochondria. We suggested that ANT may mediate, at least in part, the AAI-induced MPT. Taken together, these results suggested that MPT plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of HK-2 cell injury induced by AAI and implied that MPT might contribute to human nephrotoxicity of aristolochic acid.     

Clemaichinenoside protects renal tubular epithelial cells from hypoxia/reoxygenation injury in vitro through activating the Nrf2/HO-1 signalling pathway

Renal ischaemia/reperfusion (I/R) is a major cause of acute renal failure with increased morbidity, mortality, and prolonged hospitalizations. Clematichinenoside (AR), a triterpenoid saponin isolated from the roots of Clematis chinensis, was reported to possess a protective effect against I/R injury. However, the effect of AR on renal I/R injury has not been evaluated. This study aims to examine the effect of AR on an in vitro I/R model in human proximal tubular epithelial cells HK-2. HK-2 cells were subjected to hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) stimulation to mimic I/R in vitro. The results showed that AR improved cell viability of H/R-stimulated HK-2 cells. AR pretreatment resulted in decreased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA), as well as increased in superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in H/R-stimulated HK-2 cells. In addition, AR also presented an anti-inflammatory activity, as evidenced by decreased secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines including IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α. Moreover, apoptotic rate was markedly decreased in HK-2 cells pretreated with AR. The bax expression was decreased, while bcl-2 expression was increased by AR pretreatment. Furthermore, AR enhanced the H/R-stimulated activation of the Nrf2/HO-1 signalling pathway in HK-2 cells. In conclusion, these findings indicated that AR protected HK-2 cells from H/R-induced cell injury via regulating the Nrf2/HO-1 signalling pathway.     

In vitro cytotoxicity assay with selected chemicals using human cells to predict target-organ toxicity of liver and kidney.

In order to elucidate the feasibility of predicting liver and kidney target-organ toxicity using in vitro cytotoxicity assay, cytotoxicity of selected chemicals, acetaminophen (AAP), mitomycin (MMC), cupric chloride (CuCl2), phenacetin, cadmium chloride (CdCl2) and aristolochic acid (AA), was studied using human hepatoma (Bel-7402) cells and human renal tubular epithelial (HK-2) cells. Cell viability and mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT) were assessed by the neutral red (NR) assay and laser scanning confocal microscope, respectively. The results of the NR assay indicated that cytotoxicity of hepatoxicants, AAP, MMC and CuCl2 in liver cells was higher than that in kidney cells. Cytotoxicitiy of nephrotoxicant, CdCl2 was lower in liver cells than that in kidney cells, but nephrotoxicant phenacetin and AA was higher cytotoxicity in liver cells than that in kidney cells. The cytotoxicity of AAP and phenacetin was strengthened in the presence of S9 mixture, indicating that they are metabolism-mediated cytotoxicants. All selected chemicals disrupted MPT in dose-dependent manner. Linear regression analysis revealed a good correlation between the IC50 values of cytotoxicity and the EC50 values of MPT in Bel-7402 cells and HK-2 cells (R2 = 0.987 and 0.823, respectively). Cytotoxicity assay in vitro using specific cells show good compatibility with target-organ toxicity in vivo. However, limitations of in vitro cytotoxicity assay are due to its incomplete process of ADME and the defect of predicting chronic toxicity effect after long-term exposure to a chemical.     

Nickel (II)-induced cytotoxicity and apoptosis in human proximal tubule cells through a ROS- and mitochondria-mediated pathway

Nickel compounds are known to be toxic and carcinogenic in kidney and lung. In this present study, we investigated the roles of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitochondria in nickel (II) acetate-induced cytotoxicity and apoptosis in the HK-2 human renal cell line. The results showed that the cytotoxic effects of nickel (II) involved significant cell death and DNA damage. Nickel (II) increased the generation of ROS and induced a noticeable reduction of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP). Analysis of the sub-G1 phase showed a significant increase in apoptosis in HK-2 cells after nickel (II) treatment. Pretreatment with N-acetylcysteine (NAC) not only inhibited nickel (II)-induced cell death and DNA damage, but also significantly prevented nickel (II)-induced loss of MMP and apoptosis. Cell apoptosis triggered by nickel (II) was characterized by the reduced protein expression of Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL and the induced the protein expression of Bad, Bcl-Xs, Bax, cytochrome c and caspases 9, 3 and 6. The regulation of the expression of Bcl-2-family proteins, the release of cytochrome c and the activation of caspases 9, 3 and 6 were inhibited in the presence of NAC. These results suggest that nickel (II) induces cytotoxicity and apoptosis in HK-2 cells via ROS generation and that the mitochondria-mediated apoptotic signaling pathway may be involved in the positive regulation of nickel (II)-induced renal cytotoxicity.     

Participation of cathepsin B in emodin-induced apoptosis in HK-2 Cells

Emodin (1,3,8-trihydroxy-6-methyl-anthraquinone) and rhein (4,5-dihydroxyanthraquinone-2-carboxyl acid) are two main active compounds in total rhubarb anthraquinones (TRAs), which showed nephrotoxicity in Sprague Dawley (S.D.) rats in our previous study. However, it is unknown yet whether emodin and rhein have cytotoxic effects on kidney. To address this issue, HK-2 cells, a human proximal tubular epithelial cell line, were treated with different concentrations of emodin or rhein, and cell viability and morphological changes were investigated. The ratio of hypodiploid cells and the activity of caspase 3 protease were also detected. Results showed that addition of emodin but not rhein at concentrations above 40muM for 24h reduced cell viability and induced apoptosis in HK-2 cells. Additionally, emodin at apoptosis-inducing concentrations caused expression of cathepsin B (CB) protein and activation of CB protease. Addition of CB inhibitor, CA-074, significantly attenuated the ratio of hypodiploid and apoptotic cells, partially blocked caspase 3 activation and inhibited reduction of cell viability induced by emodin. These data indicate that emodin possesses cytotoxic effects on HK-2 cells partially through induction of CB protein and activation of CB protease.     

Selective toxicity of aristolochic acids I and II.

Ingestion of herbal remedies containing aristolochic acids (AAs) is associated with the development of a syndrome, designated aristolochic acid nephropathy (AAN), which is characterized by chronic renal failure, tubulointerstitial fibrosis, and urothelial cancer. To distinguish the component(s) of AA responsible for these varied toxic effects, we administered 2.5 mg/kg/day of AA-I or AA-II for 9 days, either i.p. or p.o., to male C3H/He mice. Tissues were then collected and subjected to biochemical and histopathologic examination. Genotoxicity was assessed by determining quantitatively the level of aristolactam-DNA adducts in various tissues using (32)P-postlabeling/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and an internal standard. In the primary target tissues, represented by the renal cortex, medulla, and bladder, we found similar levels of DNA adducts derived from AA-I and AA-II. However, in nontarget tissues, the liver, stomach, intestine, and lung, the levels of aristolactam-DNA adducts derived from AA-I were significantly higher than those derived from AA-II. Histopathologic analysis revealed tubular cell necrosis and interstitial fibrosis in the renal cortex of AA-I-treated mice but only minimal changes in the renal cortex of mice treated with AA-II. We conclude that AA-I and AA-II have similar genotoxic and carcinogenic potential, and, although both compounds are cytotoxic, AA-I is solely responsible for the nephrotoxicity associated with AAN.     

Aristolochic acid I induced oxidative DNA damage associated with glutathione depletion and ERK1/2 activation in human cells

Aristolochic acid I (AAI) has been widely found in herbal remedies and linked to the development of nephropathy and urothelial carcinoma in humans. This study elucidated the mechanism of oxidative stress and DNA damage mediated by AAI in human cells. Treatment of human promyelocytic leukemia cells (HL-60) and human renal proximal tubular cells (HK-2) with AAI led to a dose-dependent increase of reactive oxygen species (ROS). AAI also elevated the levels of DNA strand breaks and 8-hydroxy guanosine in HL-60 and HK-2 cells. Antioxidants, including Tiron, N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC) and glutathione (GSH), effectively suppressed the AAI-induced ROS and AAI-elicited genotoxicity, indicating that AAI induced the DNA damage through oxidative stress. GSH depletion was also found in AAI-treated cultures and proceeded prior to ROS formation. Exposure of HL-60 cells with AAI activated both ERK1/2 and p38 kinase phosphorylation, while only MEK1/2 inhibitor, U0126, significantly decreased AAI-mediated ROS. Preincubation of cells with thiol-containing compounds (NAC and GSH) inhibited the caspase 3 activity triggered by AAI, but non-thiol Tiron did not show a similar effect. This study demonstrated that AAI treatment results in oxidative stress-related DNA damage through GSH depletion and ERK1/2 activation; AAI-induced apoptosis is associated with GSH loss, but is independent of ROS generation.     

Aristolochic acid I metabolism in the isolated perfused rat kidney

Aristolochic acids are natural nitro-compounds found globally in the plant genus Aristolochia that have been implicated in the severe illness in humans termed aristolochic acid nephropathy (AAN). Aristolochic acids undergo nitroreduction, among other metabolic reactions, and active intermediates arise that are carcinogenic. Previous experiments with rats showed that aristolochic acid I (AA-I), after oral administration or injection, is subjected to detoxication reactions to give aristolochic acid Ia, aristolactam Ia, aristolactam I, and their glucuronide and sulfate conjugates that can be found in urine and feces. Results obtained with whole rats do not clearly define the role of liver and kidney in such metabolic transformation. In this study, in order to determine the specific role of the kidney on the renal disposition of AA-I and to study the biotransformations suffered by AA-I in this organ, isolated kidneys of rats were perfused with AA-I. AA-I and metabolite concentrations were determined in perfusates and urine using HPLC procedures. The isolated perfused rat kidney model showed that AA-I distributes rapidly and extensively in kidney tissues by uptake from the peritubular capillaries and the tubules. It was also established that the kidney is able to metabolize AA-I into aristolochic acid Ia, aristolochic acid Ia O-sulfate, aristolactam Ia, aristolactam I, and aristolactam Ia O-glucuronide. Rapid demethylation and sulfation of AA-I in the kidney generate aristolochic acid Ia and its sulfate conjugate that are voided to the urine. Reduction reactions to give the aristolactam metabolites occur to a slower rate. Renal clearances showed that filtered AA-I is reabsorbed at the tubules, whereas the metabolites are secreted. The unconjugated metabolites produced in the renal tissues are transported to both urine and perfusate, whereas the conjugated metabolites are almost exclusively secreted to the urine.     

Human Proximal Tubule Epithelial Cells (HK-2) as a Sensitive In Vitro System for Ochratoxin A Induced Oxidative Stress

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a mycotoxin that is potentially carcinogenic to humans. Although its mechanism remains unclear, oxidative stress has been recognized as a plausible cause for the potent renal carcinogenicity observed in experimental animals. The effect of OTA on oxidative stress parameters in two cell lines of LLC-PK1 and HK-2 derived from the kidneys of pig and human, respectively, were investigated and compared. We found that the cytotoxicity of OTA on LLC-PK1 and HK-2 cells was dose- and time-dependent in both cell lines. Furthermore, increased intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced by OTA in both cell lines were observed in a time-dependent manner. Glutathione (GSH) was depleted by OTA at >48 h in HK-2 but not in LLC-PK1 cells. While the mRNA levels of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) and glutathione peroxidase 1 (GPX1) in LLC-PK1 were down-regulated by 0.67- and 0.66-fold, respectively, those of catalase (CAT), glutathione reductase (GSR), and superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD) in HK-2 were up-regulated by 2.20-, 2.24-, and 2.75-fold, respectively, after 72 h exposure to OTA. Based on these results, we conclude that HK-2 cells are more sensitive to OTA-mediated toxicity than LLC-PK1, and OTA can cause a significant oxidative stress in HK-2 as indicated by changes in the parameter evaluated.     

Altered tight junctions and fence function in NRK-52E cells induced by aristolochic acid

Aristolochic acid (AA) can accumulate in the tubulointerstitium and cause kidney-specific injuries. However, the mechanism by which AA induces nephropathy remains largely unknown. This study explored the effect of AA-I on tight junctions (TJs), and the fence function in a renal epithelial cell (REC). NRK-52E cells were exposed to different concentrations of AA-I for 4 h or 25 μM AA-I for different time. Cell viability was detected by MTT, cell apoptosis by flow cytometric analysis, the expression of zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1), E-cadherin and polarity scaffold (Par3) by western blot and immunofluorescence, cell membrane permeability by transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER). It was found that AA-I reduced the expression of ZO-1, E-cadherin, and Par3 in a concentration- and time-dependent fashion, and altered the distribution of ZO-1 and Par3 from cell membrane to cell plasma. In parallel to the reduced expression of TJ proteins, TEER exhibited a significant reduction in response to AA-I treatment in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. Meanwhile, α-SMA expression in cells was increased following AA-I treatment. In contrast, cell viability and apoptosis were unaltered with the doses of AA-I tested. Our findings show for the first time that AA-I treatment in cultured RECs induced a rapid disruption of TJ and the fence function preceding apoptosis, which indicated that aberrant expression of TJ proteins within RECs may be involved in initiating the renal tubulointerstitial disorders.     

The endoplasmic reticulum stress response is involved in apoptosis induced by aloe-emodin in HK-2 cells

Aloe-emodin (AE; 1,8-dihydroxy-3-hydroxymethyl-9,10-anthracenedione) is one of the primary active compounds in total rhubarb anthraquinones (TRAs), which induce nephrotoxicity in rats. However, it is still not known whether AE has a similar effect on human kidney cells. In this study, 3-(4,5,-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assays showed that AE decreases the viability of HK-2 cells (a human proximal tubular epithelial cell line) in a dose- and time-dependent manner. AE induced G2/M arrest of cell cycle in HK-2 cells, which was detected with propidium iodide (PI) staining. This apoptosis was further investigated by Hoechst staining, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), DNA fragmentation, and Annexin V/PI staining. Apoptosis of the cells was associated with caspase 3 activation, which was detected by Western blot analysis and a caspase activity assay. In addition, changes in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) ultrastructure as observed by TEM showed the effects of AE on ER. Treatment with AE also resulted in an increase in eukaryotic initiation factor-2α (eIF-2α) phosphorylation, X-box binding protein 1 (XBP1) mRNA splicing, c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) phosphorylation, glucose-regulated protein (GRP) 78 and CAAT/enhancer-binding protein-homologous protein (CHOP) accumulation. These results suggest that AE induces ER stress in HK-2 cells, which is involved in AE-induced apoptosis. In conclusion, AE induces apoptosis in HK-2 cells, and the ER stress is involved in AE-induced apoptosis in vitro. The implications of the toxic effects of AE for clinical use are unclear and these findings should be taken into account in the risk assessment for human exposure.     

Kauren‐19‐oic acid induces DNA damage followed by apoptosis in human leukemia cells

This study evaluated the potential cytotoxicity of the natural diterpenoids kauren‐19‐oic acid (KA), 14‐hydroxy‐kaurane (1) and xylopic acid (2), and semi‐synthetic derivatives of KA (3–5) towards human cancer cell lines (K562, HL60, MDA‐MB435 and SF295) and lymphocytes. Mouse erythrocytes were used to verify a possible hemolytic activity Cytotoxicity mechanisms were investigated in HL60 cells. KA showed a moderate antiproliferative effect in MTT assay towards all cancer cells (IC₅₀, 9.1–14.3 µg ml^?1). However, KA appeared not selective to cancer cells, since it also inhibited the lymphocytes proliferation (IC₅₀, 12.6 µg ml^?1). Unlike KA, compounds 1–5 displayed no cytotoxicity and were also free from antiproliferative and hemolytic effects, suggesting that the exocyclic double bond (C16) unit may be the active pharmacophore of KA cytotoxicity. KA‐treated HL60 cells displayed decreased proliferation (5‐bromo‐2';‐deoxyuridine incorporation assay) and topoisomerase I activity (DNA relaxation assay). These assays revealed that KA primarily intercalates with DNA and not with topoisomerase I. Fluorescence microscopy using AO/EB (acridine orange/ethidium bromide) staining indicated that KA can induce both apoptosis and necrosis in HL‐60 cell cultures, which corroborate the findings with MTT. From these findings, we conclude that KA, although demonstrating cytotoxic potential, may have a limited or poor therapeutic potential due to lack of selectivity to tumor cells. Further studies on the structure modification of KA and the mechanism of the new derivatives are currently in progress. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

C1q/TNF-related protein 6 (CTRP6) attenuates renal ischaemia-reperfusion injury through the activation of PI3K/Akt signalling pathway

C1q/TNF-related protein 6 (CTRP6) is a member of the CTRP family that has been reported to exhibit a nephroprotective effect. However, the role of CTRP6 in renal ischaemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury (IRI) remains unclear. In the present study, we aimed to explore the protective effect of CTRP6 in renal IRI and the potential mechanism. We found that CTRP6 expression was markedly decreased in the kidneys of mice subjected to I/R and HK-2 cells in response to hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) stimulation. Recombinant CTRP6 protein protected against renal I/R injury by the reduction of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine levels. The increased production of ROS and malondialdehyde (MDA), as well the decreased activities of glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) caused by H/R induction were mitigated by CTRP6 in HK-2 cells. The caspase-3 activity and apoptotic rate were both decreased in CTRP6-overexpressing HK-2 cells. In addition, we also found that knockdown of CTRP6 aggravated H/R-caused oxidative stress and cell apoptosis in HK-2 cells. Moreover, CTRP6 overexpression enhanced the H/R-stimulated activation of PI3K/Akt pathway in HK-2 cells. Inhibition of PI3K reversed the nephroprotective effects of CTRP6 in HK-2 cells. Taken together, CTRP6 exerted protective effects against H/R-caused oxidative injury in HK-2 cells via activating the PI3K/Akt pathway.     

Undecylprodigiosin selectively induces apoptosis in human breast carcinoma cells independent of p53

Undecylprodigiosin (UP) is a bacterial bioactive metabolite produced by Streptomyces and Serratia. In this study, we explored the anticancer effect of UP. Human breast carcinoma cell lines BT-20, MCF-7, MDA-MB-231 and T47D and one nonmalignant human breast epithelial cell line, MCF-10A, were tested in this study. We found that UP exerted a potent cytotoxicity against all breast carcinoma cell lines in a dose- and time-dependent manner. In contrast, UP showed limited toxicity to MCF-10A cells, indicating UP's cytotoxic effect is selective for malignant cells. UP's cytotoxic effect was due to apoptosis, as confirmed by positive TUNEL signals, annexin V-binding, caspase 9 activation and PARP cleavage. Notably, UP-induced apoptosis was blocked by the pan-caspase inhibitor z-VAD.fmk, further indicating the involvement of caspase activity. Moreover, UP caused a marked decrease of the levels of antiapoptotic BCL-X(L), Survivin and XIAP while enhancing the levels of proapoptotic BIK, BIM, MCL-1S and NOXA, consequently favoring induction of apoptosis. Additionally, we found that cells with functional p53 (MCF-7, T47D) or mutant p53 (BT-20, MDA-MB-231) were both susceptible to UP's cytotoxicity. Importantly, UP was able to induce apoptosis in MCF-7 cells with p53 knockdown by RNA interference, confirming the dispensability of p53 in UP-induced apoptosis. Overall, our results establish that UP induces p53-independent apoptosis in breast carcinoma cells with no marked toxicity to nonmalignant cells, raising the possibility of its use as a new chemotherapeutic drug for breast cancer irrespective of p53 status.     

Carthamus tinctorius L. extract activates insulin‐like growth factor‐I receptor signaling to inhibit FAS‐death receptor pathway and suppress lipopolysaccharides‐induced H9c2 cardiomyoblast cell apoptosis

Carthamus tinctorius L. (Compositae) is used in Chinese medicine to treat heart disease and inflammation. In our previous study, we found that C. tinctorius L. inhibited lipopolysaccharides (LPS)‐induced tumor necrosis factor‐alpha (TNF‐α) activation, JNK expression, and apoptosis in H9c2 cardiomyoblast cells. The present study was performed to investigate the protective effect of C. tinctorius extract (CTF) on LPS‐challenged H9c2 myocardioblast cell and to explore the possible underlying mechanism. Cell viability assay showed that LPS treatment decreased the cell viability of H9c2 cell, whereas CTF treatment reversed LPS cytotoxicity in a dose‐dependent manner, especially in the LPS + CTF 25 (μg/mL) group. LPS treatment‐induced apoptosis was determined by transferase‐mediated dUTP nick end labeling assay, and by Western blot. LPS‐induced apoptotic bodies were decreased following CTF treatment. Expression of TNF‐α, FAS‐L, FAS, FADD, caspase‐8, BID, and t‐BID was significantly increased in LPS‐treated H9c2 cells. In contrast, it was significantly suppressed by the administration of CTF extract. In addition, CTF treatment activates antiapoptotic proteins, Bcl‐2 and p‐Bad, and downregulates Bax, cytochrome‐c, caspase‐9, caspase‐3, and apoptosis‐inducing factor expression. Furthermore, CTF exerted cytoprotective effects by activating insulin‐like growth factor‐I (IGF‐I) signaling pathway leading to downregulation of the apoptotic proteins involved in FAS death receptor pathway. In addition, AG1024 and IGF‐I receptor (IGF‐IR) inhibitor and siRNA silencing reverses the effect of CTF implying that CTF functions through the IGF‐IR pathway to inhibit LPS‐induced H9c2 apoptosis. These results suggest that treatment with CTF extract prevented the LPS‐induced apoptotic response through IGF‐I pathway.     

Inhibition of topoisomerase I activity and efflux drug transporters’ expression by xanthohumol from hops

Xanthohumol (XN) and its related compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxicity against four different human cancer cell lines, A549 (lung), SK-OV-3 (ovarian), SK-MEL-2 (melanoma), and HCT-15 (colon) using a sulforhodamine B assay. XN showed the most active cytotoxicity against the human cancer cell lines. Isoxanthohumol, 8-prenylnaringenin, and xanthohumol 4'-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside showed comparable cytotoxicity and (2S)-5-methoxy-8-prenylnaringenin 7-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside was the least cytotoxic compound. The anticancer properties of XN, the most active cytotoxic compound, were further investigated. XN showed an inhibitory effect on the activity of DNA topoisomerase I (topo I), which was measured from the relaxation of supercoiled DNA. The inhibition of topo I by XN might explain the cytotoxicity against the human cancer cell lines. Moreover, the expression of the drug efflux genes was investigated to predict the drug resistance. XN clearly decreased the mRNA levels of ABCB1 (MDR1), ABCC1 (MRP1), ABCC2 (MRP2), and ABCC3 (MRP3). These results suggest that XN has anticancer properties by inhibiting the topo I activity and it might be used in conjunction with other anticancer chemotherapeutic agents to reduce the drug resistance inhibiting the efflux drug transporters.