Apoptosis induced by caffeic acid phenethyl ester in human oral cancer cell lines: Involvement of Puma and Bax activation

Publication date: December 2017
Source:Archives of Oral Biology, Volume 84
Author(s): Hyun-Ju Yu, Ji-Ae Shin, In-Hyoung Yang, Dong-Hoon Won, Chi Hyun Ahn, Hye-Jeong Kwon, Jeong-Sang Lee, Nam-Pyo Cho, Eun-Cheol Kim, Hye-Jung Yoon, Jae Il Lee, Seong-Doo Hong, Sung-Dae Cho
ObjectiveCaffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE), a natural honeybee product exhibits a spectrum of biological activities including antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antitumor actions. The purpose of this research was to investigate the anticancer potential of CAPE and its molecular mechanism in human oral cancer cell lines (YD15, HSC-4 and HN22 cells).DesignTo determine the apoptotic activity of CAPE and identify its molecular targets, trypan blue exclusion assay, soft agar assay, Western blot analysis, DAPI staining, and live/dead assay were performed.ResultsCAPE significantly suppressed transformation of neoplastic cells induced by epidermal growth factor (EGF) and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA) without inhibiting growth. CAPE treatment inhibited cell growth, increased the cleavages of caspase-3 and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), and augmented the number of fragmented nuclei in human oral cancer cell lines. CAPE activated Bax protein causing it to undergo a conformational change, translocate to the mitochondrial outer membrane, and oligomere. CAPE also significantly increased Puma expression and interestingly Puma and Bax were co-localized.ConclusionOverall, these results suggest that CAPE is a potent apoptosis-inducing agent in human oral cancer cell lines. Its action is accompanied by up-regulation of Bax and Puma proteins.



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