Baicalin induces human mucoepidermoid carcinoma Mc3 cells apoptosis in vitro and in vivo

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) is the most common malignant tumor in salivary glands and high-grade MEC in particular demonstrates little response to chemotherapy which has been used largely for palliative treatment of metastatic disease. Baicalin, one of the main active compounds of Scutellaria baicalensis, possesses anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antitumor properties. In the present study, we investigated the growth inhibiting and apoptosis-inducing effects of baicalin on a highly metastatic human mucoepidermoid carcinoma cell line Mc3 for the first time. Baicalin exerted dose- and time-dependent antiproliferative potential against Mc3 cells as assessed by MTT assay. Baicalin treatment of Mc3 cells resulted in an accumulation of cells at the G₀/G₁ and G₂/M phase with a concomitant decrease in cells processing to S phase as assessed by flow cytometry. Furthermore, baicalin induced apoptosis of Mc3 cells as determined by annexin V binding and PI dual staining, DNA fragmentation, nuclear condensation and in vivo tumor inhabitation. Rhodamine 123 assay indicated that baicalin caused cytotoxicity and induced apoptosis through decreasing the mitochondrial membrane potential in Mc3 cells. Our results suggest that baicalin seems to be very attractive as a new anticancer drug and a potential chemotherapeutic agent against human high-grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma.