Puerarin induces hepatocellular carcinoma cell apoptosis modulated by mapk signaling pathways in a dose-dependent manner

Abstract

Background/Aim: Puerarin possesses a battery of therapeutic values in diverse disorders, including proapoptotic actions in multiple cancers. Herein, we investigated the effects of puerarin on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in vitro. Materials and Methods: MTT and flow cytometry were carried out to evaluate the viability and apoptosis of SMMC-7721 HCC cells in the presence of different concentrations of puerarin. Moreover, expression levels, as well as phosphorylation status of several canonical components in mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways, including extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2), c-Jun Nterminal kinase (JNK), p38, were measured by reverse transcription and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and western blot analysis at indicated time intervals. Results: Puerarin inhibited proliferation of SMMC-7721 cells and promoted their apoptosis in a dose-and timedependent fashion (p<0.05). Both the expression and phosphorylation levels of MAPK proteins were dramatically increased on puerarin treatment. Conclusion: Puerarin could be employed as a potential anti-carcinogen that exhibits proapoptotic effects on HCC cells, in a dose-and time-dependent manner, with emphasis on MAPK pathways whose initiation may contribute to this process.