Effect of ginsenoside Rh2 on proliferation and apoptosis of KG1α cells by autophagy pathway / 中草药

ABSTRACT

Objective: To investigate the antitumour activity of ginsenoside Rh2 against human leukemia KG1α cells through apoptosis and autophagy pathway. Methods: CCK-8 assay was used to screen the most effective ingredient on the proliferations among ginsenoside Rh2 in leukemia KG1α cell line; FCM detected cell apoptosis; Hoechst staining observed the cell morphological changes of apoptosis; Acridine staining detected Rh2 effected on autophagy; Western blotting and RT-PCR detected the expression levels of the proteins closely associated with autophagy and apoptosis. After joining autophagy inhibitors, using CCK-8 to test the proliferation activity of cells, cell apoptosis was measured by FCM. Results: CCK-8 indicated that Rh2 could inhibit the proliferation of KG1α cells significantly with dose- and time-dependent manners; FCM indicated that Rh2 induced apoptosis; Hoechest staining showed that KG1α cells had typical apoptotic morphological changes by treated Rh2; Acridine staining revealed that Rh2 cause increase in the number of acidic autophagy vesicles in cells, causing cell autophagy levels increased; Western blotting and RT-PCR results showed that Rh2 increased the expression of Beclin-1, LC3A, and LC3B, activated Caspase-3 and Bax/Bcl-2 rates, and MAPK, ATK, and ERK signaling pathway; After using autophagy inhibitors (3-MA), autophagy crippled that Rh2 inhibited the proliferation and induced apoptosis in KG1α cells. Conclusion: Ginsenoside Rh2 could significantly enhance autophagy through activated MAPK, ATK, and ERK signaling pathway, and then inhibit the proliferation and induce apoptosis in KG1α cells.