Mechanism of liver cancer cell apoptosis induced by berberine: the roles of ROS and caspase pathway
LI Xiao-wu
WANG Jun-jiang
LIANG Shun-tian
HAN Qin-rui
HU Wei-xian
SUN Xue-gang
YAO Xue-qing
Abstract：Objective To investigate the effects of berberine on inhibiting the proliferation and inducing the apoptosis of liver cancer HepG2 cells.Methods The inhibitory effect of berberine on the proliteration of liver cancer HepG2 cells was detected by MTT.The effect of inducing apoptosis was detected by contrast phase microscope and flow cytometry.The level of ROS and mitochondrial membrane potential were detected by flow cytometry.The expression of bax,caspase-3 and cleaved caspase-3 was determined by Western blot.Results Compared with the blank control group,berberine significantly inhibited the proliferation of HepG2 cells.The cell of HepG2 cells was significantly altered in morphology,presenting with ruptured cellular membrane,weaken brightness.Annexin V/7-AAD double staining showed that cell apoptosis was positively correlated with drug concentration.Berberine increased the level of ROS,and reduced mitochondrial membrane potential.Western blot showed that berberine exposure resulted in up-regulation of Bax protein expression and promoting cleavage of caspase-3 and PARP.Conclusion Berberine exerts anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic effects through the activation of caspase signal pathway and increasing the level of ROS.
Keywords：berberineHepG2 cellsapoptosisROScaspase pathway
Publication Date：2017-01-01
Online Publishing Date：2025-08-15(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：5( 1663-1667 )