6-shogaol induces autophagic cell death then triggered apoptosis in colorectal adenocarcinoma HT-29 cells.

6-shogaol is a phytochemical of dietary ginger, we found that 6-shogaol could induced both autophagic and apoptotic death in human colon adenocarcinoma (HT-29) cells. Results of this study showed that 6-shogal induced cell cycle arrest, autophagy, and apoptosis in HT-29 cells in a time sequence. After 6h, 6-shogal induced apparent G2/M arrest, then the HT-29 cells formed numerous autophagosomes in each phase of the cell cycle. After 18h, increases in acidic vesicles and LAMP-1 (Lysosome-associated membrane proteins 1) showed that 6-shogaol had caused autophagic cell death. After 24h, cell shrinkage and Caspase-3/7 activities rising, suggesting that apoptotic cell death had increased. And after 48h, the result of TUNEL assay indicated the highest occurrence of apoptosis upon 6-shogaol treatment. It appeared that apoptosis is triggered by autophagy in 6-shogaol treated HT-29 cells, the damage of autophagic cell death initiated apoptosis program.