Author(s)

Hyun-Ju Yu, Ji-Ae Shin, Eun-Sun Choi, Jae-Gyu Jeon, Nam-Pyo Cho, Sung-Dae Cho

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Department of Oral Pathology, School of Dentistry, Institute of Oral Bioscience, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju, South Korea.

Polygonum cuspidatum is used as a traditional medicinal herb for the therapy of various diseases including several types of cancers. In the present study, we focused on addressing the anti-cancer activity and molecular mechanism of methanol extract of Polygonum cuspidatum (MEPC) in HSC-2 human oral cancer cells. The effect of MEPC on oral cancer cells was estimated by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-20yl)-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulphophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium (MTS) assay, 4’-6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) staining and Western blot analysis. MEPC inhibited the cell viability and induced apoptosis through the induction of death receptor (DR) 5. MEPC also increased the expression of C/EBP homologous protein/growth arrest and the DNA damage-inducible gene 153 (CHOP), a transcription factor induced by ER stress. Thus, we concluded that the induction of CHOP leading to DR5 up-regulation is required for the anti-cancer activity of MEPC in HSC-2 cells and MEPC may be a promising drug candidate for oral cancer.

Polygonum cuspidatum; Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress; C/EBP Homologous Protein/Growth Arrest and the DNA Damage-Inducible Gene 153 (CHOP); Death Receptor 5 (DR5); Apoptosis; Human Oral Cancer Cell

H. Yu, J. Shin, E. Choi, J. Jeon, N. Cho and S. Cho, "The Apoptotic Effect of the Methanol Extract of Polygonum cuspidatum through Up-Regulation Death Receptor 5 and CHOP in HSC-2 Human Oral Cancer Cells," Journal of Cancer Therapy, Vol. 3 No. 1, 2012, pp. 1-6. doi: 10.4236/jct.2012.31001.