ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Pistachio is one of the main crops in Iran. Pistachio green hull, as a by-product of this fruit, is obtained in large quantities after the processing of pistachios. This novel work was designed to examine the possible anti-cancer impact of the pistachio hull extract in the liposomal form (PHEL) on HepG2 cells. METHODS AND RESULTS: The thin-film hydration approach was used for preparing liposomes and the physicochemical features of the liposomes were subsequently characterized. Afterward, apoptosis and the expression of genes related to apoptosis were assessed using flow cytometry assay and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), respectively. According to the results, the size range of PHEL was between 198 and 201 nm with a negative surface charge of - 39.2 to - 42.9 mV. As revealed by the flow cytometry results, this liposomal extract exhibits good potential for the induction of apoptosis. Moreover, the qPCR results demonstrated the up-regulation of p53 and Bax expressions and the down-regulation of Bcl-2 expression with an associated Bax/Bcl-2 ratio up-regulation. CONCLUSION: The flow cytometry and real-time PCR results indicated the potential of this liposomal extract as an anti-cancer drug candidate for the treatment of liver cancer in the future, and the mitochondrial pathway involving the up-regulation of the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio can mediate its impact.
Subject(s)
Liver Neoplasms , Pistacia , Apoptosis , Humans , Liver Neoplasms/drug therapy , Pistacia/chemistry , Plant Extracts/chemistry , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2/genetics , bcl-2-Associated X Protein/geneticsABSTRACT
To investigate the cytotoxicity and anti-cancer effects of hydro-alcoholic extract of pistachio pericarp on hepatocellular carcinoma cells (HepG2) and mouse fibroblast L929 cells as normal and control group cell.Methods: MTT assay was performed to investigate the cytotoxicity effects of the extract at 0-4000 μg/mL on the cells after 24 and 48 h. The expressions of some genes involved in apoptosis includingBax,Bcl-2 andP53 were investigated by real time PCR.Results: Our results showed that after 24 and 48 hours of treatment of cells with this extract, the viability of HepG2 and L929 cells was reduced. Therefore, this extract had the cytotoxicity effect on both cells. The IC50 concentration of extract for HepG2 cells after 24 and 48 hours of treatment was 1500 and 1000 μg/mL and for L929 cells was 2000 and 1500 μg/mL, respectively. The expressions ofBax andP53 genes were up-regulated after treatment in the HepG2 and L929 cells and the expression ofBcl-2 gene was down-regulated after treatment of extract in HepG2 cell.Conclusions:According to the results of MTT assay and real time PCR, this extract can be considered as a potential candidate for use in the production of anti-cancer drugs for the treatment of patients with liver cancer in future.
