Triptolide inactivates Akt and induces caspase-dependent death in cervical cancer cells via the mitochondrial pathway

  • Authors:
    • Min Jung Kim
    • Tae Hwa Lee
    • Sung Han Kim
    • Yeon-Joo Choi
    • Jeonghoon Heo
    • Young-Ho Kim
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: November 1, 2010     https://doi.org/10.3892/ijo_00000769
  • Pages: 1177-1185
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Abstract

Triptolide, the main active component of the traditional Chinese herbal medicine Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F, has been shown to have potent immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory properties. Here, we investigated the pro-apoptotic effect of triptolide in human cervical cancer cells and its underlying mechanisms. Exposure of cervical cancer cells to triptolide induced apoptosis, which was accompanied by loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, caspase processing (caspase-8, -9 and -3), and cleavage of the caspase substrate, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase. The cytotoxic effects of triptolide were significantly inhibited by the caspase inhibitor, z-VAD-fmk. Triptolide-induced apoptosis was associated with a marked reduction in Akt phosphorylation and was exacerbated by LY294002 (phosphatidylinositol-3'-kinase inhibitor). Conversely, it was attenuated by Akt overexpression. Triptolide-induced apoptosis was also associated with downregulation of Mcl-1 and was significantly inhibited by Mcl-1 overexpression. These findings show that triptolide induces caspase-dependent, mitochondria-mediated apoptosis in cervical cancer cells, in part, by negatively regulating Akt and Mcl-1.

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November 2010
Volume 37 Issue 5

Print ISSN: 1019-6439
Online ISSN:1791-2423

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Spandidos Publications style
Kim MJ, Lee TH, Kim SH, Choi Y, Heo J and Kim Y: Triptolide inactivates Akt and induces caspase-dependent death in cervical cancer cells via the mitochondrial pathway. Int J Oncol 37: 1177-1185, 2010
APA
Kim, M.J., Lee, T.H., Kim, S.H., Choi, Y., Heo, J., & Kim, Y. (2010). Triptolide inactivates Akt and induces caspase-dependent death in cervical cancer cells via the mitochondrial pathway. International Journal of Oncology, 37, 1177-1185. https://doi.org/10.3892/ijo_00000769
MLA
Kim, M. J., Lee, T. H., Kim, S. H., Choi, Y., Heo, J., Kim, Y."Triptolide inactivates Akt and induces caspase-dependent death in cervical cancer cells via the mitochondrial pathway". International Journal of Oncology 37.5 (2010): 1177-1185.
Chicago
Kim, M. J., Lee, T. H., Kim, S. H., Choi, Y., Heo, J., Kim, Y."Triptolide inactivates Akt and induces caspase-dependent death in cervical cancer cells via the mitochondrial pathway". International Journal of Oncology 37, no. 5 (2010): 1177-1185. https://doi.org/10.3892/ijo_00000769