Curcumol induces apoptosis in SPC-A-1 human lung adenocarcinoma cells and displays anti-neoplastic effects in tumor bearing mice.

Curcumol is a sesquiterpene originally isolated from curcuma rhizomes, a component of herbal remedies commonly used in oriental medicine. Its beneficial pharmacological activities have attract significant interest recently. In this study, anti-cancer activity of curcumol was examined with both in vitro and in vivo models.

Expression and function of GSTA1 in lung cancer cells.

Glutathione S-transferase A1 (GSTA1) appears to be primarily involved in detoxification processes, but possible roles in lung cancer remain unclear. The objective of this study was to investigate the expression and function of GSTA1 in lung cancer cells. Real-time PCR and Western blotting were performed to assess expression in cancer cell lines and the normal lung cells, then verify the A549 cells line with stable overexpression.

Induction of caspase-3-dependent apoptosis in human leukemia HL-60 cells by δ-elemene.

  δ-Elemene, an antitumor component, is a chemical compound isolated from Curcuma wenyujin, a Chinese traditional herb. We examined whether δ-elemene could inhibit cell growth and cell cycle progression and induce apoptosis in human leukemia HL-60 cells. The results demonstrated that δ-elemene induces significant apoptosis of HL-60 cells, as shown by MTT assay, annexin V (AnV) binding of externalized phosphatidylserine (PS), and the mitochondrial probe JC-1 using flow cytometry.

B-cell lymphoma-2 over-expression protects δ-elemene-induced apoptosis in human lung carcinoma mucoepidermoid cells via a nuclear factor kappa B-related pathway.

δ-Elemene, an antitumor component, is a chemical compound isolated from Curcuma wenyujin, a Chinese traditional herb. We examined whether δ-elemene could affect apoptosis in human lung carcinoma mucoepidermoid NCI-H292 cells, and test whether and how the over-expression of B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) and B-cell lymphoma extra large (Bcl-xL) could off-set the effect of δ-elemene on cell growth. The result demonstrated that δ-elemene significantly induced apoptosis of NCI-H292, as shown by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, DNA fragmentation measurement, Annexin V (AnV) binding of externalized phosphatidylserine and the mitochondrial probe JC-1 using flow cytometry.

Scutellarin induced Ca(2+ ) release and blocked KCl-induced Ca(2+ ) influx in smooth muscle cells isolated from rat thoracic artery.

This study was designed to investigate the effect of scutellarin (1) on the modulation of intracellular Ca(2+ ) concentration in thoracic smooth muscle cells of rat. Single smooth muscle cells were obtained enzymatically. Fluo-3 AM was used to determine the alteration of intracellular-free Ca(2+ )([Ca(2+ )](i)) and the changes in fluorescence intensity under different agonists were recorded.