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Compound Bieshe Kang’ai inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis in HCT116 human colorectal cancer cells
Abstract
Purpose: To study the effect of Compound Bieshe Kang’ai (CBK) on proliferation and apoptosis in colorectal cancer cells.
Methods: HCT116 colorectal cancer cells and FHs 74 Int intestinal cells were treated with CBK, followed by determination of cell proliferation with 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Caspase-9 and caspase-3 activities as well as protein expressions of Bcl-2 and BAX, and mRNA levels of caspase-9, caspase-3, Bcl-2 and BAX in HCT116 cells were evaluated, followed by examination of the morphological alterations of HCT116 cells with Hoechst 33342 staining.
Results: CBK suppressed proliferation of HCT116 cells in a concentration- and time-dependent pattern, without cytotoxicity to FHs 74 Int cells. CBK also elevated caspase-9 and caspase-3 activities, mitigated protein translation of Bcl-2 and augmented that of BAX. It also enhanced mRNA transcriptions of caspase-9, caspase-3 and BAX, but decreased that of Bcl-2 in HCT116 cells in a concentrationdependent manner, as well as induced cancer cell shrinkage, nuclear fragmentation and chromatin condensation.
Conclusion: The findings highlight CBK as a promising therapeutic agent for colorectal cancers, by retarding proliferation and inducing apoptosis in cancer cells.
Keywords: Apoptosis, BAX, Bcl-2, Cancer, Caspase, Compound Bieshe Kang’ai, Chromatin condensation, Nuclear fragmentation
Methods: HCT116 colorectal cancer cells and FHs 74 Int intestinal cells were treated with CBK, followed by determination of cell proliferation with 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Caspase-9 and caspase-3 activities as well as protein expressions of Bcl-2 and BAX, and mRNA levels of caspase-9, caspase-3, Bcl-2 and BAX in HCT116 cells were evaluated, followed by examination of the morphological alterations of HCT116 cells with Hoechst 33342 staining.
Results: CBK suppressed proliferation of HCT116 cells in a concentration- and time-dependent pattern, without cytotoxicity to FHs 74 Int cells. CBK also elevated caspase-9 and caspase-3 activities, mitigated protein translation of Bcl-2 and augmented that of BAX. It also enhanced mRNA transcriptions of caspase-9, caspase-3 and BAX, but decreased that of Bcl-2 in HCT116 cells in a concentrationdependent manner, as well as induced cancer cell shrinkage, nuclear fragmentation and chromatin condensation.
Conclusion: The findings highlight CBK as a promising therapeutic agent for colorectal cancers, by retarding proliferation and inducing apoptosis in cancer cells.
Keywords: Apoptosis, BAX, Bcl-2, Cancer, Caspase, Compound Bieshe Kang’ai, Chromatin condensation, Nuclear fragmentation