The Angelica decursiva has been used in Korean traditional medicine as an antitussive, an analgesic, an antipyretic and a cough remedy. However, it has been completely unknown its anti-tumor activity. In this study, therefore, we have examined the cyt...
The Angelica decursiva has been used in Korean traditional medicine as an antitussive, an analgesic, an antipyretic and a cough remedy. However, it has been completely unknown its anti-tumor activity. In this study, therefore, we have examined the cytotoxic activity of ethanol extract of Angelica decursiva root (EEAD), and the mechanism of cell death exhibited by EEAD in C6 rat glioma cells.
The cytotoxic effect of EEAD on cell growth inhibition in C6 cells was examined using MTT assay. And the cell death mechanism by EEAD was examined using DNA fragmentation analysis, immunoblotting and caspase activation measurement.
Treatment of EEAD in C6 cells induced the apoptotic cell death in a concentration- and a time-dependent manner as determined by MTT assay and DNA fragmentation analysis. The proteolytic processing of caspase-3, -7 and -9 was increased by EEAD treatment in C6 cells. In addition, activation of caspase-3 and -7 was detected in living C6 cells by fluorescence microscopy.
These results suggest that the EEAD can induce the suppression of cell growth and cell apoptosis in C6 rat glioma cells, and that it may have potential properties for anti-tumor drug discovery.