Planta Med 2005; 71(1): 82-84
DOI: 10.1055/s-2005-837757
Letter
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Honokiol Induces Apoptosis via Cytochrome c Release and Caspase Activation in Activated Rat Hepatic Stellate Cells in vitro

Eun-Jeon Park1 , Yu-Zhe Zhao1 , Young Ho Kim2 , Byung-Hoon Lee1 , Dong Hwan Sohn1
  • 1Department of Pharmacy, Medicinal Resources Research Center, Wonkwang University, Iksan, Jeonbuk, Korea
  • 2College of Pharmacy, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Korea
Further Information

Publication History

Received: April 26, 2004

Accepted: September 2, 2004

Publication Date:
27 January 2005 (online)

Abstract

The therapeutic goal in liver fibrosis is the reversal of fibrosis and the selective clearance of activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) by inducing apoptosis. Over the past several years, we have screened for natural products that mediate apoptosis in activated HSCs. Among the candidate compounds, honokiol, isolated from Magnoliae cortex, was found to induce apoptotic death in activated rat HSCs, while there was no cell viability change in hepatocytes, at concentrations of 12.5 - 50 μM. Apoptosis was identified by DNA fragmentation, activation of caspase-3 and -9, and the proteolytic cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, down-regulation of bcl-2 and the release of mitochondrial cytochrome c into the cytoplasm.

Abbreviations

HSCs:hepatic stellate cells

MTT:3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-1-yl)2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide

PARP:poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase

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Prof. Dong Hwan Sohn

Department of Pharmacy

Wonkwang University

Iksan

Jeonbuk 570-749

Republic of Korea

Fax: +82-63-854-6038

Email: dhsohn@wonkwang.ac.kr

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