Growth inhibition of luteolin on HepG2 cells is induced via p53 and Fas/Fas-ligand besides the TGF-β pathway.

Flavonoids, a class of natural polyphenolic compounds, inhibit cell cycle progression and induce apoptosis. This study was performed to investigate the antiproliferative effect of luteolin, the flavonoid isolated from Ixeris sonchifolia Hance, and to elucidate the detailed apoptotic mechanism in HCC cells. According to the result of MTT assay luteolin possessed antiproliferative effect, and HepG2 cells were the most sensitive to luteolin.

Construction of Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains with enhanced ethanol tolerance by mutagenesis of the TATA-binding protein gene and identification of novel genes associated with ethanol tolerance.

Since elevated ethanol is a major stress during ethanol fermentation, yeast strains tolerant to ethanol are highly desirable for the industrial scale ethanol production. A technology called global transcriptional machinery engineering (gTME), which exploits a mutant library of SPT15 encoding the TATA-binding protein of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Alper et al., 2006; Science 314: 1565-1568), seems to a powerful tool for creating ethanol-tolerant strains.

Momilactone B, an allelochemical of rice hulls, induces apoptosis on human lymphoma cells (Jurkat) in a micromolar concentration.

Although momilactone B has been studied as an allelochemical of rice (Oryza sativa L.), to date we have no report showing the effect of momilactone B on mammalian cells. This study was undertaken to examine whether this allelochemical has anticancer activity on cancer cells.

A novel chenodeoxycholic derivative HS-1200 enhances radiation-induced apoptosis in MCF-7 cells.

HS-1200, a synthetic chenodeoxycholic acid derivative, has cytotoxic activity in various human cancer cells. The present study was undertaken to examine whether HS-1200 sensitizes radiation-induced apoptosis in MCF-7 human breast carcinoma cells. Clonogenic assay elucidated that the combination treatment with HS-1200 and radiation induced more cytotoxic effects than the radiation treatment alone.

zVAD-fmk, unlike BocD-fmk, does not inhibit caspase-6 acting on 14-3-3/Bad pathway in apoptosis of p815 mastocytoma cells.

In a preliminary study, we found that benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Ala-Asp(OMe)-fluoromethylketone (zVAD- fmk), unlike Boc-aspartyl(OMe)-fluoromethylketone (BocD-fmk), at usual dosage could not prevent genistein-induced apoptosis of p815 mastocytoma cells. This study was undertaken to reveal the mechanism underlying the incapability of zVAD-fmk in preventing this type of apoptosis. We observed that 14-3-3 protein level was reduced in genistein-treated cells and that BocD-fmk but not zVAD-fmk prevented the reduction of 14-3-3 protein level and the release of Bad from 14-3-3.

Petrotetrayndiol A induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in SK-MEL-2 human melanoma cells through cytochrome c-mediated activation of caspases.

We investigated the possible mechanisms by which petrotetrayndiol A, a polyacetylene from the sponge Petrosia sp., exerts its anti-proliferative activity in cultured SK-MEL-2 human melanoma cells. Petrotetrayndiol A-treated SK-MEL-2 cells showed growth inhibition and induction of apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner as measured by MTT assay, fluorescent microscopy and flow cytometric analysis.

Ircinin-1 induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in SK-MEL-2 human melanoma cells.

We investigated the effects of ircinin-1, a lipid compound (a C25 sesterterpene tetronic acid) isolated from marine sponges (Sarcotragus sp.), on the modulation of cell cycle and induction of apoptosis in SK-MEL-2 human skin cancer cells (mutant p53). Ircinin-1 treatment on SK-MEL-2 cells resulted in a dose-dependent inhibition of cell growth and induced apoptotic cell death.

Synthetic chenodeoxycholic acid derivatives inhibit glioblastoma multiform tumor growth in vitro and in vivo.

We previously reported that the synthetic chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) derivatives showed apoptosis-inducing activity on various cancer cells in vitro. This study was undertaken to explore whether synthetic CDCA derivatives, HS-1199 and HS-1200, had an anticancer effect on malignant glioblastoma cells. We administered them in culture to U-118MG, U-87MG, T98G, and U-373MG cells.

Doxorubicin induces apoptosis with profile of large-scale DNA fragmentation and without DNA ladder in anaplastic thyroid carcinoma cells via histone hyperacetylation.

Doxorubicin is known to be the most effective single cytotoxic drug against anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC). Although doxorubicin has been shown to cause cell death, at least partly, by inducing apoptosis in ATC cells, the mechanism underlying its pharmacological efficacy has not been fully delineated. We, in this study, revealed that doxorubicin induced apoptosis in ATC cells by altering the acetylation state of histone.

Trichostatin A induces apoptosis of p815 mastocytoma cells in histone acetylation- and mitochondria-dependent fashion.

Although inhibition of histone deacetylase has been demonstrated to induce apoptosis of various cancer cells, there is no report on its effect on mast cell demise to date. Here we studied whether a histone deacetylase inhibitor Trichostatin A (TSA) produces apoptosis in p815 mastocytoma cells. TSA prominently increased the amount of acetylated histones, H3, H4, H2A and H2B, in p815 mastocytoma cells.

Synthetic bile acid derivatives inhibit cell proliferation and induce apoptosis in HT-29 human colon cancer cells.

As previously demonstrated, the synthetic bile acid derivatives mediate anti-proliferative properties in a variety of human cancer cells. In the present study, the effects of the synthetic derivatives of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), HS-1030 and HS-1183, and chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA), HS-1199 and HS-1200, on the proliferation of HT-29 human colon cancer cells were investigated. Whereas UDCA and CDCA had no effect on the growth of cells in the concentration ranges we have tested, HS-1199 and HS-1200 completely inhibited cell proliferation, while HS-1030 and HS-1183 showed weak inhibitory activities.

Inhibitory effects of luteolin isolated from Ixeris sonchifolia Hance on the proliferation of HepG2 human hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

We investigated the anti-proliferative effects of luteolin and apigenin, isolated from Ixeris sonchifolia Hance, on HepG2 human hepatocellular carcinoma cells. In MTT assay luteolin showed more efficient anti-proliferative effects on cells than apigenin did. According to propidium iodide staining and flow cytometry studies, we postulated that these effects might be a result of cell cyde arrest.