Ellagic acid promotes apoptosis of human cervical cancer cells through endoplasmic reticulum stress and mitochondrial damage / 中国药理学通报

ABSTRACT

Aim To investigate the effect of ellagic acid on human cervical cancer cells and its correlation with endoplasmic reticulum stress ( ERS) - mitochondrial apoptosis pathway. Methods Hela cells were treated with ellagic acid, and cell survival rate, apoptosis and expression of ERS mitochondrial apoptosis pathway protein were detected. After pretreatment with ERS inhibitor 4-PBA, the expression of mitochondrial apoptosis pathway protein was detected. Results Ellagic acid showed concentration-dependent and time- dependent killing effect on Hela cells, and could significantly increase the apoptosis of Hela cells. Ellagic acid significantly increased the expression levels of ERS related proteins (GRP78, CHOP, p-PERK, p-IREl) in Hela cells, and significantly increased the expression levels of mitochondrial proapoptotic proteins . Bax and cleaved caspase-3, while significantly decreased the expression level of mitochondrial anti apop- totic protein Bcl-2. Another group of experiments showed that pretreatment with ERS inhibitor 4-PBA could significantly reduce the expression levels of Bax and cleaved caspase-3, and significantly increase the expression level of Bcl-2, which was close to the normal group. Conclusions Ellagic acid can significantly promote the apoptosis of human cervical cancer cells, and its mechanism is related to ERS mitochondrial apoptosis pathway.