ISSN 2326-7267
International Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology ISSN: 2326-7267 Vol. 6 (11), pp. 001-009, November, 2017. © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Spica Prunellae extract promotes mitochondrion-dependent apoptosis in human colon carcinoma cell line
Liangpu Zheng1, Youqin Chen2,4, Wei Lin1, Qunchuan Zhuang1, Xuzheng Chen1, Wei Xu3, Xianxiang Liu1, Jun Peng1* and Thomas J. Sferra2,4
1Academy of Integrative Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1 Huatuo Road, Minhou Shangjie, Fuzhou, Fujian 350108, China.
2Department of Pediatrics, The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 940 Stanton L. Young Boulevard, Oklahoma City, OK 73190, USA.
3Department of Pharmacology, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1 Huatuo Road, Minhou Shangjie, Fuzhou, Fujian 350108, China.
4Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 940 Stanton L. Young Boulevard, Oklahoma City, OK 73190, USA.
Accepted 14 April, 2017
Abstract
Spica Prunellae (Prunella vulgaris fruiting spikes) has long been used as an important component in formulated prescriptions of Chinese traditional medicine to treat various kinds of cancer. However, the precise mechanism of the anti-cancer activity of Spica Prunellae remains to be elucidated. In this report, we investigated the cellular effects of the ethanol extract of Spica Prunellae (EESP) in the HT-29 human colon carcinoma cell line. We found that EESP inhibited the growth of HT-29 cells as evidenced by EESP-induced cell morphological changes and reduced cell viability in dose- and time-dependent manners. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the HT-29 cell growth inhibitory activity of EESP was due to apoptosis, as EESP treatment resulted in the loss of plasma membrane asymmetry (externalization of phosphatidylserine), collapse of mitochondrial membrane potential, activation of caspase-9 and caspase-3, and increase in the ratio of pro-apoptotic Bax to anti-apoptotic Bcl-2. Taken together, these results suggest that Spica Prunellae inhibits the growth of HT-29 colon cancer cells through mitochondrion-mediated apoptosis, which may, in part, explain its anti-cancer activity.
Key words: Apoptosis, anti-tumor, HT-29 cells, phytotherapy, mitochondria, Spica Prunellae.