Chinese herbal medicine in treatment of polyhydramnios:a meta-analysis and systematic review

Glabridin induces apoptosis and autophagy through JNK1/2 pathway in human hepatoma cells

BACKGROUND

Extensive research results support the use of herbal medicine or natural food to augment therapy for various cancers. Studies have associated glabridin with numerous biological activities, such as regulating energy metabolism and estrogenic, neuroprotective, antiosteoporotic, and skin-whitening activities.

HYPOTHESIS/PURPOSE

However, how glabridin affects tumor cell autophagy has not been clearly determined.

METHODS

Autophagy is a lysosomal degradation pathway essential for cell survival and tissue homeostasis. In this study, the roles of autophagy and related signaling pathways during glabridin-induced autophagy in human liver cancer cells were investigated. Additionally, the molecular mechanism of the anticancer effects of glabridin in human hepatoma cells was investigated.

RESULTS

The results revealed that glabridin significantly inhibited cell proliferation in human hepatoma cells. Glabridin induced apoptosis dose-dependently in Huh7 cells through caspase-3, -8, and -9 activation and PARP cleavage. Furthermore, autophagy was detected as early as 12h after exposure to a low dose of glabridin, as indicated by the up-regulated expression of LC3-II and beclin-1 proteins. The inhibition of JNK1/2 and p38 MAPK by specific inhibitors significantly reduced glabridin-induced activation of caspases-3, -8, and -9. Blocking autophagy sensitize the Huh7 cells to apoptosis.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrated for the first time that autophagy occurs earlier than apoptosis does during glabridin-induced apoptosis in human liver cancer cell lines. Glabridin induces Huh7 cell death through apoptosis through the p38 MAPK and JNK1/2 pathways and is a potential chemopreventive agent against human hepatoma.

Timosaponin AIII mediates caspase activation and induces apoptosis through JNK1/2 pathway in human promyelocytic leukemia cells

Timosaponin AIII (TAIII) is a steroidal saponin isolated from Anemarrhena asphodeloides that has been shown to inhibit cell growth and induce apoptosis in cancer. However, the effect of TAIII on acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remains unclear. Here, the molecular mechanism by which TAIII-induced apoptosis affects human AML cells was investigated. The results showed that TAIII significantly inhibited cell proliferation of four AML cell lines (MV4-11, U937, THP-1, and HL-60). Furthermore, TAIII induced apoptosis of HL-60 cells through caspase-3, caspase-8, and caspase-9 activations and PARP cleavage in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Moreover, Western blot analysis also showed that TAIII increased phosphorylation of JNK1/2 and p38 MAPK in a dose-dependent manner. Inhibition of JNK1/2 by specific inhibitors significantly abolished the TAIII-induced activation of the caspase-8. Taken together, our results suggest that TAIII induces HL-60 cell apoptosis through JNK1/2 pathways and could serve as a potential additional chemotherapeutic agent for treating AML.

Glabridin mediate caspases activation and induces apoptosis through JNK1/2 and p38 MAPK pathway in human promyelocytic leukemia cells

Background

Glabridin, a prenylated isoflavonoid of G. glabra L. roots, has been associated with a wide range of biological properties such as regulation of energy metabolism, estrogenic, neuroprotective, anti-osteoporotic, and skin-whitening in previous studies. However, the effect of glabridin on tumor cells metastasis has not been clearly clarified. Here, the molecular mechanism by which glabridin anticancer effects in human promyelocytic leukemia cells was investigated.

Methodology and Principal Findings

The results showed that glabridin significantly inhibited cell proliferation of four AML cell lines (HL-60, MV4-11, U937, and THP-1). Furthermore, glabridin induced apoptosis of HL-60 cells through caspases-3, -8, and -9 activations and PARP cleavage in dose- and time-dependent manner. Moreover, western blot analysis also showed that glabridin increase phosphorylation of ERK1/2, p38 MAPK and JNK1/2 in dose- and time-dependent manner. Inhibition of p38 MAPK and JNK1/2 by specific inhibitors significantly abolished the glabridin-induced activation of the caspase-3, -8 and -9.

Conclusion

Taken together, our results suggest that glabridin induced HL-60 cell apoptosis through p38 MAPK and JNK1/2 pathways and could serve as a potential additional chemotherapeutic agent for treating AML.