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BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies
Published in: BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies 1/2013

Open Access 01-12-2013 | Research article

MiR-181a contributes to bufalin-induced apoptosis in PC-3 prostate cancer cells

Authors: Xiao-feng Zhai, Fan-fu Fang, Qun Liu, Yong-bin Meng, Yu-yu Guo, Zhe Chen

Published in: BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies | Issue 1/2013

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Abstract

Background

Bufalin is a major active compound of cinobufacini, which comes from dried toad venom and has been used for treatments of various cancers in China for many years. A number of studies have demonstrated that bufalin can induce apoptosis in some cancers. However, effects and mechanism of bufalin on prostate cancer cells remain unknown.

Methods

Apoptosis assay was measured by the annexin-V/PI flow cytometric assay. Western blot was used to measure Caspase-3 and Bcl-2. qRT-PCR was used to measure the relative expression of miR-181a.

Results

Bufalin was found to induce the expression of miR-181a, a small non-coding RNA believed to induce apoptosis by repressing its target gene, BCL-2. In prostate cancer PC-3cell line, bufalin-induced apoptosis can be largely attenuated by a miR-181a inhibitor, which blocked bufalin-induced Bcl-2 reduction and caspase-3 activation.

Conclusions

Our dataindicatedthat miR-181a mediates bufalin-induced apoptosis in PC-3 cells. Thus, we presented here a new pharmacological mechanism for bufalin in anti-tumor therapy.
Appendix
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Metadata
Title
MiR-181a contributes to bufalin-induced apoptosis in PC-3 prostate cancer cells
Authors
Xiao-feng Zhai
Fan-fu Fang
Qun Liu
Yong-bin Meng
Yu-yu Guo
Zhe Chen
Publication date
01-12-2013
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies / Issue 1/2013
Electronic ISSN: 2662-7671
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6882-13-325

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