Thymoquinone induces apoptosis through downregulation of c-FLIP and Bcl-2 in renal carcinoma Caki cells

  • Authors:
    • Eun Jung Park
    • Anil Kumar Chauhan
    • Kyoung-Jin Min
    • Dong Cheol Park
    • Taeg Kyu Kwon
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  • Published online on: August 12, 2016     https://doi.org/10.3892/or.2016.5019
  • Pages: 2261-2267
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Abstract

Renal carcinoma is a common and frequently fatal carcinoma occurring worldwide and death rates due to this carcinoma are increasing with time. In the present study, we investigated the potential of thymoquinone a natural compound to induce apoptosis in renal carcinoma Caki cells. Thymoquinone efficiently enhanced the apoptotic population of Caki cells in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, thymoquinone-mediated apoptosis caused downregulation of c-FLIP and Bcl-2, the master regulators of the anti-apoptotic mechanism. However, we did not find any changes in mRNA expression level of c-FLIP, therefore; this regulation of c-FLIP was a result of post-translation modification by thymoquinone. In contrast, expression of the Bcl-2 protein was observed at both transcriptional and translational level. However, we also observed that thymoquinone enhanced the level of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) in Caki cells, which resulted in reduction of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and cytochrome c release into cytoplasm. Our results postulate that thymoquinone induces apoptosis through downregulating c-FLIP and Bcl-2 which can be utilized as a chemotherapeutic agent to treat renal carcinoma.
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October-2016
Volume 36 Issue 4

Print ISSN: 1021-335X
Online ISSN:1791-2431

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Spandidos Publications style
Park EJ, Chauhan AK, Min K, Park DC and Kwon TK: Thymoquinone induces apoptosis through downregulation of c-FLIP and Bcl-2 in renal carcinoma Caki cells. Oncol Rep 36: 2261-2267, 2016
APA
Park, E.J., Chauhan, A.K., Min, K., Park, D.C., & Kwon, T.K. (2016). Thymoquinone induces apoptosis through downregulation of c-FLIP and Bcl-2 in renal carcinoma Caki cells. Oncology Reports, 36, 2261-2267. https://doi.org/10.3892/or.2016.5019
MLA
Park, E. J., Chauhan, A. K., Min, K., Park, D. C., Kwon, T. K."Thymoquinone induces apoptosis through downregulation of c-FLIP and Bcl-2 in renal carcinoma Caki cells". Oncology Reports 36.4 (2016): 2261-2267.
Chicago
Park, E. J., Chauhan, A. K., Min, K., Park, D. C., Kwon, T. K."Thymoquinone induces apoptosis through downregulation of c-FLIP and Bcl-2 in renal carcinoma Caki cells". Oncology Reports 36, no. 4 (2016): 2261-2267. https://doi.org/10.3892/or.2016.5019