Effects of Ursolic Acid on the Proliferation and Apoptosis of Human Ovarian Cancer Cells

Overview

Journal J Huazhong Univ Sci Technolog Med Sci

Specialty General Medicine

Date 2009 Dec 29

PMID 20037823

Citations 12

Authors

Xianghong Wang

Liling Li

Bo Wang

Jinyi Xiang

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

This study examined the effects of ursolic acid (UA) on the proliferation and apoptosis of a human ovarian cancer cell line, CAOV3. The CAOV3 cells were cultured in the RPMI 1640 media and treated with different concentrations of UA (0, 10, 20, 40 micromol/L). The proliferation rate of the CAOV3 cells was determined by MTT assay. The apoptosis rate was measured by flow cytometry. ERK activity was detected by immunoprecipitation and the expressions of p-ERK1/2, MKP-1, Bax and Bcl-2 by Western blotting. The results showed that the proliferation rate was significantly decreased in the cells treated with UA as compared with that in the non-treated cells (P<0.05). The intracellular ERK activity and p-ERK1/2 expression were also reduced in the UA-treated cells, while the MKP-1 expression was elevated. Moreover, the apoptosis was found in the CAOV3 cells exposed to UA; the Bax expression was increased and the Bcl-2 expression decreased. The apoptosis rate in the UA-treated cells was much higher than that in the non-treated cells (P<0.05). It is concluded that UA can inhibit the proliferation of CAOV3 cells by suppressing the ERK activity and the expression of p-ERK1/2. And it can also induce the apoptosis of the CAOV3 cells by up-regulating the Bax expression and down-regulating the Bcl-2 expression.

Citing Articles

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Ursolic Acid-Based Derivatives as Potential Anti-Cancer Agents: An Update.

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Hypoxia pathway and hypoxia-mediated extensive extramedullary hematopoiesis are involved in ursolic acid's anti-metastatic effect in 4T1 tumor bearing mice.

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