Parthenolide enhances the apoptosis induced by 4-hydroxyphenyl-retinamide in human hepatoma cells / 中国病理生理杂志

ABSTRACT

AIM: To detect the signal pathway of apoptosis induced by 4-hydroxyphenyl-retinamide(4-HPR) and the biological effect of parthenolide-induced apoptosis.METHODS: TUNEL staining,FCM analysis,electrophoretic mobile shift assay(EMSA) were used to determine the actual effects and its mechanism of parthenolide on the 4-HPR-induced apoptosis in human hepatoma Hep-3B and SK-Hep-1 cells.RESULTS: The results of TUNEL and PI staining showed that parthenolide selectively enhanced 4-HPR-induced apoptosis in Hep-3B and SK-Hep-1 cells.Subsequent observations using EMSA assay indicated that parthenolide effectively inhibited NF-?B activation during fenretinide-induced apoptosis.CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that parthenolide suppresses 4-HPR-induced apoptosis via inhibition of NF-?B activation and that NF-?B activation during fenretinide-induced apoptosis might have an anti-apoptotic effect.