Numerous studies have demonstrated the apoptotic and anti-proliferative effects of resveratrol, a natural polyphenolic phytoalexin, on various cancer cell lines. However, the effects of resveratrol on the regulation of human cervical carcinoma, and the mechanisms underlying these effects, remain to be elucidated. In the present study, the potential mechanisms underlying the effects of resveratrol in HeLa cervical carcinoma cells were investigated. The results revealed that resveratrol inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis in HeLa human cervical cancer cells in a dose-dependent and time-dependent manner. Resveratrol induced cell shrinkage in HeLa cells and apoptosis accompanied by the activation of caspase-3 and -9. Furthermore, resveratrol upregulated the expression of the pro-apoptotic B-cell lymphoma (Bcl)-2-associated X protein and downregulated the expression of the anti-apoptotic proteins Bcl-2 and Bcl-extra large in HeLa cells. In addition, p53, a protein that is essential for cell survival and cell cycle progression, exhibited elevated expression levels in resveratrol-treated HeLa cells. Therefore, resveratrol may be a promising novel inhibitor of human cervical cancer.
Keywords: HeLa; apoptosis; mitochondrial signaling pathway; p53; resveratrol.