Ge-Jee-Bok-Ryung-Hwan induces apoptosis in human cervical carcinoma HeLa cells--an endoplasmic reticulum stress pathway--

Life Sci. 2004 Nov 5;75(25):2997-3016. doi: 10.1016/j.lfs.2004.04.055.

Abstract

Ge-Jee-Bok-Ryung-Hwan (GJBRH), a commonly used herb formulation in Korea, Japan and China, caused a decrease of viability in HeLa human cervical carcinoma cells. The treatment of GJBRH resulted in genomic DNA fragmentation as well as the increase of Sub-G1 portion in cell cycle analysis. In this study, GFP-Bax over-expression system showed that Bax, pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 family protein, was translocated to mitochondria by the presence of GJBRH. The treatment of BAPTA-AM, permeable endogenous calcium chelator, inhibited GJBRH-induced caspase-3 and -9 activations, the release of cytochrome c and Smac/DIABLO into cytoplasm and the resultant cell death in HeLa human cervical carcinoma cells. The treatment of BAPTA-AM increased the expression of XIAP, which mediates binding to and inhibiting caspases and showed protective effect, in GJBRH-treated cells. GJBRH induced the expression of Glucose Response Protein 78 (GRP 78), a positive ER stress marker protein. However, BAPTA-AM did not interfere with the ER-stress response pathway that triggers the expression of GRP 78. This study showed that GJBRH induces cell death, which occurs downstream of or parallel to this point in the ER-stress pathway linked to apoptosis. In conclusion, GJBRH induces apoptosis in HeLa cells via ER stress-pathway associated mitochondria-dependent apoptosis mechansim.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Apoptosis / drug effects*
  • Calcium Signaling
  • Caspase 3
  • Caspase 9
  • Caspases / metabolism
  • Drugs, Chinese Herbal / pharmacology*
  • Egtazic Acid / analogs & derivatives*
  • Egtazic Acid / pharmacology
  • Endoplasmic Reticulum / drug effects*
  • Endoplasmic Reticulum / physiology
  • Endoplasmic Reticulum Chaperone BiP
  • HeLa Cells
  • Heat-Shock Proteins / biosynthesis
  • Humans
  • Membrane Potentials / drug effects
  • Molecular Chaperones / biosynthesis
  • Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases / metabolism
  • Protein Biosynthesis
  • Protein Transport / drug effects
  • Proteins*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / metabolism
  • X-Linked Inhibitor of Apoptosis Protein
  • bcl-2-Associated X Protein

Substances

  • BAX protein, human
  • Drugs, Chinese Herbal
  • Endoplasmic Reticulum Chaperone BiP
  • Heat-Shock Proteins
  • Molecular Chaperones
  • Proteins
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2
  • X-Linked Inhibitor of Apoptosis Protein
  • XIAP protein, human
  • bcl-2-Associated X Protein
  • 1,2-bis(2-aminophenoxy)ethane N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid acetoxymethyl ester
  • Egtazic Acid
  • Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases
  • CASP3 protein, human
  • CASP9 protein, human
  • Caspase 3
  • Caspase 9
  • Caspases