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Baicalein induces human osteosarcoma cell line MG-63 apoptosis via ROS-induced BNIP3 expression

  • Research Article
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Tumor Biology

Abstract

Baicalein, a flavonoid compound, is one of the active constituents of the root of Scutellariae Radix. Its antitumor effects have attracted widespread attention worldwide. One of its major functions is to induce the apoptosis of tumor cells, but the antitumor mechanism is currently unclear. In the present study, we found that baicalein increased MG-63 cell mortality in a dose-dependent manner. Meanwhile, baicalein activated apoptosis through induced intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and that ROS scavenger N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC), glutathione (GSH), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) apparently inhibited intracellular ROS production, consequently attenuating the baicalein-induced apoptosis. Baicalein also induce the mitochondrial fragmentation which precedes the cell apoptosis. This morphological alteration is accompanied by an increase in the expression of the protein BNIP3 as well as Mul1 and Drp1. Furthermore, we show that the inhibition of BNIP3 expression can inhibit cell apoptosis by baicalein treatment. Taken together, our results bring the evidence of a mechanism that links apoptosis and ROS-induced BNIP3 expression in MG-63 cells with bacalein treatment and suggest that baicalein has a good potential as an anti-osteosarcoma drug.

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Abbreviations

ROS:

Reactive oxygen species

NAC:

N-acetyl-cysteine

GSH:

Glutathione

SOD:

Superoxide dismutase

BNIP3:

BCL2/adenovirus E1B 19 kDa interacting protein 3

LDH:

Lactate dehydrogenase

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Conflicts of interest

None

Authors’ contributions

Fangfan Ye drafted the article. Honghan Wang, Lusi Zhang, Yongyi Zou, and HaiLong Han were in charge in acquisition of data, analysis and interpretation of data, and revision of the article. Jia Huang took control in the conception and design.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anesthesiology, Hunan Provincial People’s Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, China

    Fangfan Ye

  2. Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Hunan Provincial Tumor Hospital and the Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xiangya Medical School, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China

    Honghan Wang

  3. Department of Ophthalmology, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China

    Lusi Zhang

  4. State Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China

    Yongyi Zou & Hailong Han

  5. Department of Critical Care Medicine, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Renmin Road 139, Changsha, 410011, Hunan, China

    Jia Huang

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  1. Fangfan Ye
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Correspondence to Jia Huang.

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Ye, F., Wang, H., Zhang, L. et al. Baicalein induces human osteosarcoma cell line MG-63 apoptosis via ROS-induced BNIP3 expression. Tumor Biol. 36, 4731–4740 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13277-015-3122-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13277-015-3122-y

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