Alteration of mitochondrial membrane potential by Spirulina platensis C-phycocyanin induces apoptosis in the doxorubicin-resistant human hepatocellular-carcinoma cell line HepG2

作者：Roy Karnati R; Arunasree Kalle M; Reddy Nishant P; Dheeraj Bhavanasi; Reddy Gorla Venkateswara; Reddanna Pallu

来源：Biotechnology and Applied Biochemistry, 2007, 47(3): 159-167.

DOI：10.1042/BA20060206

• caspase 3
• cytochrome c
• doxorubicin
• hepatocellular carcinoma
• poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP)
• Spirulina platensis C-phycocyanin

C-PC (C-phycocyanin) is a water-soluble biliprotein from the filamentous cyanobacterium Spirulina platensis with potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticancerous properties. In the present study, the effect of C-PC was tested on the proliferation of doxorubicin-sensitive (S-HepG2) and -resistant (R-HepG2) HCC (hepatocellular carcinoma) cell lines. These studies indicate a 50% decrease in the proliferation of S- and R-HepG2 cells treated with 40 and SO mu M C-PC for 24 h respectively. C-PC also enhanced the sensitivity of R-HepG2 cells to doxorubicin. R-HepG2 cells treated with C-PC showed typical apoptotic features such as membrane blebbing and DNA fragmentation. Flow-cytometric analysis of R-HepG2 cells treated with 10, 25 and 50 mu M C-PC for 24 h showed 18.8, 39.72 and 65.64% cells in sub-G(0)/G(1)-phase respectively. Cytochrome c release, decrease in membrane potential, caspase 3 activation and PARP [poly(ADPribose) polymerase] cleavage were observed in CPC-treated R-HepG2 cells. These studies also showed down-regulation of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 and up-regulation of the pro-apoptotic Bax (Bcl2-associated X-protein) protein in the R-HepG2 cells treated with C-PC. The present study thus demonstrates that C-PC induces apoptosis in R-HepG2 cells and its potential as an anti-HCC agent.

• 出版日期2007-8