Triptolide Inhibits Proliferation and Induces Apoptosis of Human Melanoma A375 Cells

• DOI: 10.7314/apjcp.2012.13.4.1611
• Publication Date: 2012-09-07T00:33:01Z
• Authors: Yue Tao; Meng-Li Zhang; Peng-Cheng Ma; Jian-Fang Sun; Wu-Qing Zhou; Yu-Ping Cao; Ling-Jun Li
• Keywords: 0301 basic medicine; Skin Neoplasms; Caspase 3; NF-kappa B; bcl-X Protein; Down-Regulation; Apoptosis; Phenanthrenes; Caspase 9; 3. Good health; 03 medical and health sciences; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; Cell Line, Tumor; S Phase Cell Cycle Checkpoints; Epoxy Compounds; Humans; Diterpenes; Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating; Melanoma; Cell Proliferation

Triptolide, a diterpenoid obtained from Tripteryglum wilfordii Hook.f, has attracted interest for its anti- tumor activities against human tumor cell lines in recent years. This report focuses on anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic activities in human melanoma A375 cells assessed by CCK8 assay, Hoechst 33258 staining and flow cytometry. In addition, triptolide-induced arrest in the S phase was also observed. Caspase assays showed the apoptosis induced by triptolide was caspase-dependent and probably through intrinsic apoptotic pathways. Furthermore, expression of NF-κB (p65) and its downstream factors such as Bcl-2, Bcl-XL was down-regulated. Taken together, the data indicate that triptolide inhibits A375 cells proliferation and induces apoptosis by a caspase-dependent pathway and through a NF-κB-mediated mechanism.