Honokiol induces apoptosis through p53-independent pathway in human colorectal cell line RKO

AIM: To investigate the signal pathway of honokiol-induced apoptosis on human colorectal carcinoma RKO cells and to evaluate whether p53 and p53-related genes were involved in honokiol-treated RKO cells.METHODS: Cell cycle distribution and subdiploid peak were analyzed with a flow cytometer and DNA fragment with electrophoresis on agarose gels. Transcriptional level of Bax, Bcl-2, Bid and Bcl-xl was accessed by RT-PCR.Western blotting was used to measure p53 protein expression and other factors related to apoptosis.Proliferation inhibition of two cell lines (RKO, SW480) with high expression of p53 and one cell line with p53 negative expression (LS180) was monitored by MTr assay.RESULTS: Honokiol induced RKO cell apoptosis in a dosedependent manner. The mRNA expression level and proteinlevel of Bid were up-regulated while that of Bcl-xl wasdown-regulated, but no changes in Bax and Bcl-2 were observed. Western blotting showed p53 expression had no remarkable changes in honokiol-induced RKO cell apoptosis. LS180 cells treated with honokiol exhibited apparent growth inhibition like RKO ceils and Sw480 ceils.CONCLUSION: Honokiol can induce RKO cells apoptosis through activating caspase cascade by p53-indepenent pathway.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ENDOTHELIAL DYSFUNCTION AND SERUM HOMOCYSTEINE IN PATIENTS WITH CORONARY LESIONS

Objective To investigate the relationship between vascular endothelial dysfunction and serum homocysteine (HCY) level in patients with coronary lesions. Methods Serum HCY, serum nitric oxide (NO), plasma endothelin-1 (ET-1), and circulation endothelial cell (CEC) were measured in 76 patients who received coronary angiography. Fifty-four patients with a stenosis of 50% or more at least in one coronary atery were as coronary artery disease (CAD) group. Other 22 cases with no recognizable plaque and/or stenosis were as control group. HCY level was detected using an enzyme immunoassay kit. NO concentration was measured using a nitrate reductase kit. Radio-immunoassay was applied to analyse the ET-1 level, and CEC was measured by flow cytometry. Results The levels of HCY, ET-1, and CEC in patients with coronary lesions were significantly increased in comparison with control group (P < 0.01), while NO level in CAD group was significantly lower compared with that in control (P < 0.01). Using a multivariate stepwise regression analysis, HCY level had a positive correlation with ET-1 level (r = 0.420, P < 0.05) and CECs number (r = 0.423, P < 0.05); and had a negative correlation with NO/ET-1 (r = -0.403, P < 0.05). But there was no significant correlation between HCY and NO levels. Conclusions HCY might lead to endothelial cell injury, which would provide a plausible mechanism for the relationship between hyperhomocysteinemia and development of coronary artery disease. HCY can be considered as a predictor for preli-minary or active coronary lesion.