The Antioxidative Fraction of White Mulberry Induces Apoptosis through Regulation of p53 and NFκB in EAC Cells

PLoS One. 2016 Dec 9;11(12):e0167536. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0167536. eCollection 2016.

Abstract

In this study, the antioxidative fraction of white mulberry (Morus alba) was found to have an apotogenic effect on Ehrlich's ascites carcinoma cell-induced mice (EAC mice) that correlate with upregulated p53 and downregulated NFκB signaling. The antioxidant activities and polyphenolic contents of various mulberry fractions were evaluated by spectrophotometry and the ethyl acetate fraction (EAF) was selected for further analysis. Strikingly, the EAF caused 70.20% tumor growth inhibition with S-phase cell cycle arrest, normalized blood parameters including red/white blood cell counts and suppressed the tumor weight of EAC mice compared with untreated controls. Fluorescence microscopy analysis of EAF-treated EAC cells revealed DNA fragmentation, cell shrinkage, and plasma membrane blebbing. These characteristic morphological features of apoptosis influenced us to further investigate pro- and anti-apoptotic signals in EAF-treated EAC mice. Interestingly, apoptosis correlated with the upregulation of p53 and its target genes PARP-1 and Bax, and also with the down-regulation of NFκB and its target genes Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL. Our results suggest that the tumor- suppressive effect of the antioxidative fraction of white mulberry is likely due to apoptosis mediated by p53 and NFκB signaling.

MeSH terms

  • Acetates / chemistry
  • Animals
  • Antioxidants / metabolism
  • Antioxidants / pharmacology*
  • Apoptosis / drug effects*
  • Apoptosis / genetics
  • Carcinoma, Ehrlich Tumor / drug therapy*
  • Carcinoma, Ehrlich Tumor / genetics
  • Carcinoma, Ehrlich Tumor / pathology
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Cell Proliferation / genetics
  • Flow Cytometry
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / drug effects
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Microscopy, Fluorescence
  • Morus / chemistry*
  • NF-kappa B / genetics*
  • NF-kappa B / metabolism
  • Oxidation-Reduction / drug effects
  • Poly (ADP-Ribose) Polymerase-1 / genetics
  • Poly (ADP-Ribose) Polymerase-1 / metabolism
  • Polyphenols / metabolism
  • Polyphenols / pharmacology
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Tumor Burden / drug effects
  • Tumor Burden / genetics
  • Tumor Cells, Cultured
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / genetics*
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / metabolism
  • bcl-2-Associated X Protein / genetics
  • bcl-2-Associated X Protein / metabolism

Substances

  • Acetates
  • Antioxidants
  • NF-kappa B
  • Polyphenols
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53
  • bcl-2-Associated X Protein
  • ethyl acetate
  • Poly (ADP-Ribose) Polymerase-1

Grants and funding

The authors received no specific funding for this work.