Article

Berberine induced apoptosis via promoting the expression of caspase-8, -9 and -3, apoptosis-inducing factor and endonuclease G in SCC-4 human tongue squamous carcinoma cancer cells.

Graduate Institute of Chinese Medical Science, China Medical University, Taichung 404, Taiwan.
Anticancer research (impact factor: 1.73). 10/2009; 29(10):4063-70. pp.4063-70
Source: PubMed

ABSTRACT Many phytochemicals have been recognized to have potential chemopreventive or chemotherapeutic efficacy in cancer treatment. In this study, we hypothesized that berberine would have anticancer activities in SCC-4 human tongue cancer cells. Results indicated that berberine reduced the viability of SCC-4 cells, which was initiated by the generation of reactive oxygen species, via an increase in cytosolic Ca(2+). Berberine-induced apoptosis was associated with a reduction of the mitochondrial membrane potential associated with changes in the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, release of cytochrome c from mitochondria and activation of down stream caspase-3. Real-time PCR showed that berberine stimulated gene expression of caspase-8, -9 and -3, apoptosis-inducing factor and endonuclease G. The present study demonstrated that berberine-mediated apoptosis of SCC-4 cells is regulated by ROS, mitochondria, caspase-3-dependent and mitochondria-dependent pathways, suggesting that berberine may be considered for future studies as a promising therapeutic candidate for human tongue cancer.

0 0
 · 
0 Bookmarks
 · 
30 Views
  • Source
    Article: Berberine modulates AP-1 activity to suppress HPV transcription and downstream signaling to induce growth arrest and apoptosis in cervical cancer cells.
    Sutapa Mahata, Alok C Bharti, Shirish Shukla, Abhishek Tyagi, Syed A Husain, Bhudev C Das
    [show abstract] [hide abstract]
    ABSTRACT: Specific types of high risk Human papillomaviruses (HR-HPVs) particularly, HPV types 16 and 18 cause cervical cancer and while the two recently developed vaccines against these HPV types are prophylactic in nature, therapeutic options for treatment and management of already existing HPV infection are not available as yet. Because transcription factor, Activator Protein-1 (AP-1) plays a central role in HPV-mediated cervical carcinogenesis, we explored the possibility of its therapeutic targeting by berberine, a natural alkaloid derived from a medicinal plant species, Berberis which has been shown to possess anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties with no known toxicity; however, the effect of berberine against HPV has not been elucidated. We studied the effect of berberine on HPV16-positive cervical cancer cell line, SiHa and HPV18-positive cervical cancer cell line, HeLa using electrophoretic mobility gel shift assays, western and northern blotting which showed that berberine could selectively inhibit constitutively activated AP-1 in a dose- and time-dependent manner and downregulates HPV oncogenes expression. Inhibition of AP-1 was also accompanied by changes in the composition of their DNA-binding complex. Berberine specifically downregulated expression of oncogenic c-Fos which was also absent in the AP-1 binding complex. Treatment with berberine resulted in repression of E6 and E7 levels and concomitant increase in p53 and Rb expression in both cell types. Berberine also suppressed expression of telomerase protein, hTERT, which translated into growth inhibition of cervical cancer cells. Interestingly, a higher concentration of berberine was found to reduce the cell viability through mitochondria-mediated pathway and induce apoptosis by activating caspase-3. These results indicate that berberine can effectively target both the host and viral factors responsible for development of cervical cancer through inhibition of AP-1 and blocking viral oncoproteins E6 and E7 expression. Inhibition of AP-1 activity by berberine may be one of the mechanisms responsible for the anti-HPV effect of berberine. We propose that berberine is a potentially promising compound for the treatment of cervical cancer infected with HPV.
    Molecular Cancer 01/2011; 10:39. · 3.99 Impact Factor
  • Source
    Article: Anti-cancer natural products isolated from chinese medicinal herbs.
    Wen Tan, Jinjian Lu, Mingqing Huang, Yingbo Li, Meiwan Chen, Guosheng Wu, Jian Gong, Zhangfeng Zhong, Zengtao Xu, Yuanye Dang, Jiajie Guo, Xiuping Chen, Yitao Wang
    [show abstract] [hide abstract]
    ABSTRACT: ABSTRACT: In recent years, a number of natural products isolated from Chinese herbs have been found to inhibit proliferation, induce apoptosis, suppress angiogenesis, retard metastasis and enhance chemotherapy, exhibiting anti-cancer potential both in vitro and in vivo. This article summarizes recent advances in in vitro and in vivo research on the anti-cancer effects and related mechanisms of some promising natural products. These natural products are also reviewed for their therapeutic potentials, including flavonoids (gambogic acid, curcumin, wogonin and silibinin), alkaloids (berberine), terpenes (artemisinin, β-elemene, oridonin, triptolide, and ursolic acid), quinones (shikonin and emodin) and saponins (ginsenoside Rg3), which are isolated from Chinese medicinal herbs. In particular, the discovery of the new use of artemisinin derivatives as excellent anti-cancer drugs is also reviewed.
    Chinese Medicine 01/2011; 6(1):27. · 1.79 Impact Factor
Data provided are for informational purposes only. Although carefully collected, accuracy cannot be guaranteed. The impact factor represents a rough estimation of the journal's impact factor and does not reflect the actual current impact factor. Publisher conditions are provided by RoMEO. Differing provisions from the publisher's actual policy or licence agreement may be applicable.

Keywords

Bax/Bcl-2 ratio
 
berberine
 
Berberine-induced apoptosis
 
berberine-mediated apoptosis
 
cancer treatment
 
caspase-3-dependent
 
chemotherapeutic efficacy
 
cytochrome c
 
endonuclease G
 
future studies
 
gene expression
 
human tongue cancer
 
mitochondrial membrane potential
 
potential chemopreventive
 
promising therapeutic candidate
 
reactive oxygen species
 
SCC-4 cells
 
SCC-4 human tongue cancer cells
 
stream caspase-3