Liver Yin deficiency tonifying herbal extract induces apoptosis and cell senescence in Bel-7402 human hepatocarcinoma cells

  • Authors:
    • Bing Hu
    • Hong-Mei An
    • Ke-Ping Shen
    • Ling Xu
    • Qin Du
    • Shan Deng
    • Yang Wu
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  • Published online on: October 12, 2011     https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2011.364
  • Pages: 80-86
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Abstract

Liver cancer ranks as the fifth most prevalent malignancy of all cancers worldwide. According to the principles of traditional Chinese medicine, liver Yin deficiency is a common clinical syndrome of liver cancer, and tonifying liver Yin is a common treatment method for liver cancer. However, no hepatocarcinoma-specific liver Yin tonifying formula has yet been established. In the present study, we established a liver cancer-specific combination of herbs, which we term liver Yin tonifying formula (LYTF). We found that LYTF inhibits the proliferation of Bel-7402 cells in a dose- and time‑dependent manner. LYTF induces apoptosis in Bel-7402 cells, which is accompanied by activation of caspases-8, -9 and -3. Pan-caspase blocking completely abrogates LYTF‑induced apoptosis and partially abrogates LYTF-induced proliferation inhibition. LYTF also induces cell senescence, as indicated by a large and flattened morphology, senescence‑activated β-galactosidase-positive staining and G0/G1 cell cycle arrest, accompanied by the up-regulation of p16 and p21 and the down-regulation of retinoblastoma protein phosphorylation. These findings suggest that LYTF is effective in inhibiting the growth and survival of hepatocarcinoma cells through the induction of apoptosis and cell senescence. Our study also provides insight into traditional Chinese medicine methods used for the treatment of liver cancer.
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January 2012
Volume 3 Issue 1

Print ISSN: 1792-0981
Online ISSN:1792-1015

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Spandidos Publications style
Hu B, An H, Shen K, Xu L, Du Q, Deng S and Wu Y: Liver Yin deficiency tonifying herbal extract induces apoptosis and cell senescence in Bel-7402 human hepatocarcinoma cells. Exp Ther Med 3: 80-86, 2012
APA
Hu, B., An, H., Shen, K., Xu, L., Du, Q., Deng, S., & Wu, Y. (2012). Liver Yin deficiency tonifying herbal extract induces apoptosis and cell senescence in Bel-7402 human hepatocarcinoma cells. Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine, 3, 80-86. https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2011.364
MLA
Hu, B., An, H., Shen, K., Xu, L., Du, Q., Deng, S., Wu, Y."Liver Yin deficiency tonifying herbal extract induces apoptosis and cell senescence in Bel-7402 human hepatocarcinoma cells". Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine 3.1 (2012): 80-86.
Chicago
Hu, B., An, H., Shen, K., Xu, L., Du, Q., Deng, S., Wu, Y."Liver Yin deficiency tonifying herbal extract induces apoptosis and cell senescence in Bel-7402 human hepatocarcinoma cells". Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine 3, no. 1 (2012): 80-86. https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2011.364