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Research: LIU, Shen and ONG,
Listed in Issue 56
Abstract
LIU, Shen and ONG, Department of Community, Occupational and Family Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore investigated the effect of a Chinese herbal medicine (Salvia miltiorrhiza) on human hepatic cells.
Background
Salvia miltiorrhiza (SM) is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine, commonly used to treat liver diseases in China for centuries. Earlier studies have indicated that SM exhibits anti-tumour properties, but its mechanism remains to be elucidated. In this study, the authors evaluated the molecular mechanism of SM in a human hepatoma cell line HepG(2).
Methodology
Results
SM exerted clear cytotoxic effects, and strongly inhibited the proliferation of HepG(2) cells. It was also observed that SM treatment caused apoptotic cell death as evaluated by: a) morphological changes by using acridine orange/ethidium bromide staining; b) DNA fragmentation by TdT-mediated dUTP nick end labelling (TUNEL); and c) sub-G(1) cell analysis. Furthermore, depletion of intracellular glutathione (GSH) and reduction of mitochondrial membrane potential were found to be involved in the initiation of apoptosis by SM.
Conclusion
References
Liu J et al. Salvia miltiorrhiza inhibits cell growth and induces apoptosis in human hepatoma HepG(2) cells. Cancer Letters 153(1-2): 85-93. May 2000.
