Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

LIVE: Thursday 27th June 2024, 18:00-19:30 (CEST)
Join our expert panel to discover why you need to understand the drivers of non-adherence in your patients, and how you can optimize medication adherence in your clinics to drastically improve patient outcomes.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
Inflammopharmacology
Published in: Inflammopharmacology 2/2014

01-04-2014 | Research Article

Emodin elicits cytotoxicity in human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells through inducing apoptosis

Authors: Wing-Yan Li, Yam-Fung Ng, Huan Zhang, Zi-Dong Guo, De-Jian Guo, Yiu-Wa Kwan, George Pak-Heng Leung, Simon Ming-Yuen Lee, Peter Hoi-Fu Yu, Shun-Wan Chan

Published in: Inflammopharmacology | Issue 2/2014

Login to get access

Abstract

This study investigated the mechanism of the cytotoxic effect of emodin, an active anthraquinone, on human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells. In vitro growth inhibition and suppression on colony forming were used to evaluate the effects of emodin on A549 cells. Emodin’s ability in changing the expressions of apoptosis-related genes was studied by real-time RT-PCR. Emodin could significantly inhibit the growth of A549 cells with IC50 = 16.85 μg/ml (~60 μM). It also concentration dependently inhibited the colony-forming ability of A549 cells with IC50 = 7.60 μg/ml (~30 μM). Hallmarks of apoptosis, such as single-strand DNA breakage and DNA fragmentation, were observed in A549 cells treated with emodin. Emodin (72 h) treatment could up-regulate the gene expression of FASL (p < 0.05) and down-regulate the gene expression of C-MYC (p < 0.01), but induce no significant changes in the gene expressions of MCL1, GAPDH, BAX and CCND1. These results suggest that emodin could induce growth inhibition and apoptosis in A549 cells through modifying the extrinsic apoptotic pathways and the induction of cell cycle arrest.
Literature
Ahn KS, Hahn BS, Kwack K et al (2006) Platycodin D-induced apoptosis through nuclear factor-kappaB activation in immortalized keratinocytes. Eur J Pharmacol 537:1–11PubMedCrossRef
Akervall J, Bockmuhl U, Petersen I et al (2003) The gene ratios c-MYC: cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK)N2A and CCND1: CDKN2A correlate with poor prognosis in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Clin Cancer Res 9:1750–1755PubMed
Basu S, Ghosh A, Hazra B (2005) Evaluation of the antibacterial activity of Ventilago madraspatana Gaertn., Rubia cordifolia Linn. and Lantana camara Linn.: isolation of emodin and physcion as active antibacterial agents. Phytother Res 19:888–894PubMedCrossRef
Cameron R, Feuer G (2001) The effect of drugs and toxins on the process of apoptosis. Drug Metab Drug Interact 18:1–32CrossRef
Chang GC, Hsu SL, Tsai JR et al (2004) Molecular mechanisms of ZD1839-induced G1-cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells. Biochem Pharmacol 68:1453–1464PubMedCrossRef
Chen YC, Shen SC, Lee WR et al (2002) Emodin induces apoptosis in human promyeloleukemic HL-60 cells accompanied by activation of caspase 3 cascade but independent of reactive oxygen species production. Biochem Pharmacol 64:1713–1724PubMedCrossRef
Choi HS, Cho MC, Lee HG et al (2010) Indole-3-carbinol induces apoptosis through p53 and activation of caspase-8 pathway in lung cancer A549 cells. Food Chem Toxicol 48:883–890PubMedCrossRef
Hsu YL, Kuo PL, Liu CF et al (2004) Acacetin-induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in human non-small cell lung cancer A549 cells. Cancer Lett 212:53–60PubMedCrossRef
Huang HC, Chu SH, Chao PD (1991a) Vasorelaxants from Chinese herbs, emodin and scoparin, possess immunosuppressive properties. Eur J Pharmacol 198:211–213PubMedCrossRef
Huang HC, Lee CR, Chao PD et al (1991b) Vasorelaxant effect of emodin, an anthraquinone from a Chinese herb. Eur J Pharmacol 205:289–294PubMedCrossRef
Huang Q, Shen HM, Ong CN (2004) Inhibitory effect of emodin on tumour invasion through suppression of activator protein-1 and nuclear factor-kappaB. Biochem Pharmacol 68:361–371PubMedCrossRef
Huang Z, Chen G, Shi P (2008) Emodin-induced apoptosis in human breast cancer BCap-37 cells through the mitochondrial signalling pathway. Arch Pharmacal Res 31:742–748CrossRef
Ishitani R, Tajima H, Takata H et al (2003) Proapoptotic protein glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase: a possible site of action of antiapoptotic drugs. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 27:291–301PubMedCrossRef
Jang BC, Paik JH, Jeong HY et al (2004) Leptomycin B-induced apoptosis is mediated through caspase activation and down-regulation of Mcl-1 and XIAP expression, but not through the generation of ROS in U937 leukemia cells. Biochem Pharmacol 68:263–274PubMedCrossRef
Kim MS, Park MJ, Kim SJ et al (2005) Emodin suppresses hyaluronic acid-induced MMP-9 secretion and invasion of glioma cells. Int J Oncol 27:839–846PubMed
Klaude M, Eriksson S, Nygren J et al (1996) The comet assay: mechanisms and technical considerations. Mutat Res 363:89–96PubMedCrossRef
Lee HZ, Hsu SL, Liu MC et al (2001) Effects and mechanisms of aloe-emodin on cell death in human lung squamous cell carcinoma. Eur J Pharmacol 431:287–295PubMedCrossRef
Lee EJ, Min HY, Chung HJ et al (2005) A novel adenosine analog, thio-Cl-IB-MECA, induces G0/G1 cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in human promyelocytic leukemia HL-60 cells. Biochem Pharmacol 70:918–924PubMedCrossRef
Li HL, Chen HL, Li H et al (2005) Regulatory effects of emodin on NF-kappaB activation and inflammatory cytokine expression in RAW 264.7 macrophages. Int J Mol Med 16:41–47PubMedCrossRef
Li WY, Chan SW, Guo DJ et al (2009) Water extract of Rheum officinale Baill induces apoptosis in human lung adenocarcinoma A549 and human breast cancer MCF-7 cell lines. J Ethnopharmacol 124:251–256
Li WY, Chan RY, Yu PH et al (2013) Emodin induces cytotoxic effect in human breast carcinoma MCF-7 cell through modulating the expression of apoptosis-related genes. Pharm Biol 51:1175–1181
Lin HI, Lee YJ, Chen BF et al (2005) Involvement of Bcl-2 family, cytochrome c and caspase 3 in induction of apoptosis by beauvericin in human non-small cell lung cancer cells. Cancer Lett 230:248–259PubMedCrossRef
Liu T, Zhu E, Wang L et al (2005) Abnormal expression of Rb pathway-related proteins in salivary gland acinic cell carcinoma. Hum Pathol 36:962–970PubMedCrossRef
Mogal A, Abdulkadir SA (2006) Effects of histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi); trichostatin-A (TSA) on the expression of housekeeping genes. Mol Cell Probes 20:81–86PubMedCrossRef
Pelengaris S, Khan M, Evan G (2002a) c-MYC: more than just a matter of life and death. Nat Rev Cancer 2:764–776PubMedCrossRef
Pelengaris S, Khan M, Evan GI (2002b) Suppression of Myc-induced apoptosis in beta cells exposes multiple oncogenic properties of Myc and triggers carcinogenic progression. 109:321–334
Petty WJ, Dragnev KH, Dmitrovsky E (2003) Cyclin D1 as a target for chemoprevention. Lung Cancer 41(Suppl 1):S155–S161PubMedCrossRef
Shieh DE, Chen YY, Yen MH et al (2004) Emodin-induced apoptosis through p53-dependent pathway in human hepatoma cells. Life Sci 74:2279–2290PubMedCrossRef
Singh NP, McCoy MT, Tice RR et al (1988) A simple technique for quantitation of low levels of DNA damage in individual cells. Exp Cell Res 175:184–191PubMedCrossRef
Srinivas G, Anto RJ, Srinivas P et al (2003) Emodin induces apoptosis of human cervical cancer cells through poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage and activation of caspase-9. Eur J Pharmacol 473:117–125PubMedCrossRef
Wang CF, Wu XD, Chen M et al (2007) Emodin induces apoptosis through caspase 3-dependent pathway in HK-2 cells. Toxicology 231:120–128PubMedCrossRef
Way TD, Kao MC, Lin JK (2005) Degradation of HER2/neu by apigenin induces apoptosis through cytochrome c release and caspase-3 activation in HER2/neu-overexpressing breast cancer cells. FEBS Lett 579:145–152PubMedCrossRef
Wu SJ, Ng LT, Lin CC (2005) Cinnamaldehyde-induced apoptosis in human PLC/PRF/5 cells through activation of the proapoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins and MAPK pathway. Life Sci 77:938–951PubMedCrossRef
Zhang CX, Huang KX (2006) Mechanism of apoptosis induced by a polysaccharide, from the loach Misgurnus anguillicaudatus (MAP) in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 210:236–245PubMedCrossRef
Zhang HQ, Zhou CH, Wu YQ (2005) Effect of emodin on small intestinal peristalsis of mice and relevant mechanism. World J Gastroenterol 11:3147–3150PubMed
Metadata
Title
Emodin elicits cytotoxicity in human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells through inducing apoptosis
Authors
Wing-Yan Li
Yam-Fung Ng
Huan Zhang
Zi-Dong Guo
De-Jian Guo
Yiu-Wa Kwan
George Pak-Heng Leung
Simon Ming-Yuen Lee
Peter Hoi-Fu Yu
Shun-Wan Chan
Publication date
01-04-2014
Publisher
Springer Basel
Published in
Inflammopharmacology / Issue 2/2014
Print ISSN: 0925-4692
Electronic ISSN: 1568-5608
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10787-013-0186-4

Other articles of this Issue 2/2014

Inflammopharmacology 2/2014 Go to the issue

Short Communication

Efficacy of some colloidal silver preparations and silver salts against Proteus bacteria, one possible cause of rheumatoid arthritis

Research Article

Analgesic and antiinflammatory activities of the ethyl acetate fraction of Bidens pilosa (Asteraceae)

Review

Palmitoylethanolamide, a naturally occurring disease-modifying agent in neuropathic pain

Commentary

Endocellular regulation by free radicals and hydrogen peroxide: key determinants of the inflammatory response

Research Article

Oral vitamin D3 supplementation reduces monocyte-derived dendritic cell maturation and cytokine production in Crohn’s disease patients

Research Article

Croton antisyphiliticus Mart. attenuates the inflammatory response to carrageenan-induced pleurisy in mice