Compound K-induced apoptosis of human hepatocellular carcinoma MHCC97-H cells in vitro

Zheng,Zhi-Zhong; Ming,Yan-Lin; Chen,Liang-Hua; Zheng,Guo-Hua; Liu,Shao-Song; Chen,Qing-Xi

doi:10.3892/or.2014.3171

Compound K-induced apoptosis of human hepatocellular carcinoma MHCC97-H cells in vitro

Authors:
- Zhi-Zhong Zheng
- Yan-Lin Ming
- Liang-Hua Chen
- Guo-Hua Zheng
- Shao-Song Liu
- Qing-Xi Chen
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Affiliations: The Research and Development Center for Medicine Plant and Plant Drugs, Xiamen Overseas Chinese Subtropical Plant Introduction Garden, Xiamen, Fujian 361002, P.R. China, Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, P.R. China
Published online on: May 8, 2014 https://doi.org/10.3892/or.2014.3171
Pages: 325-331

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Abstract

An intestinal bacterial metabolite of ginseng protopanaxadiol saponin, 20-O-(β-D-glucopyranosyl)-20(S)-protopanaxadiol (compound K), has been reported to induce apoptosis in a variety of cancer cells. However, the precise mechanisms induced by compound K in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells remain unclear. In order to examine possible apoptotic mechanisms, we investigated the anticancer effect of compound K in MHCC97-H. MTT assay showed that compound K inhibited the proliferation of MHCC97-H cells with a relatively low toxicity in normal hepatoma cells. Cell cycle progression and cell staining showed an increase in apoptotic sub-G1 fraction. Treatment of MHCC97-H with compound K also induced a reduction in mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψm) and DNA damage. Further study showed that compound K upregulated Fas, FasL, Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and downregulated pro-caspase-9, pro-caspase-3 in a dose-dependent manner, and it also inhibited Akt phosphorylation. These results suggest that compound K significantly inhibits cell proliferation and induces apoptosis in MHCC97-H cells through Fas- and mitochondria-mediated caspase-dependent pathways in human HCC cells.

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