Role of intracellular reactive oxygen species and mitochondrial dysfunction in evening primrose extract-induced apoptosis in Ehrlich ascites tumor cells.

Abstract

Herbal medicines are increasingly being utilized to treat a wide variety of disease processes. Evening primrose extract (EPE) is extracted from Oenothera biennis L., one species of evening primroses, which has been shown to have several pharmacological effects. However, anti-tumor activity in the extract of defatted seeds of O. biennis L. has not been defined thus far. In this study, we identified the major biochemical changes upon EPE treatment and investigated the functional relationship between these changes. We found that EPE-induced apoptosis in Ehrlich ascites tumor cells as evidenced by morphological changes. Furthermore, our results demonstrated rapid increase of intracellular peroxides levels, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and the release of cytochrome c from mitochondria to cytosol. These results suggest that the rapid increase of intracellular peroxides levels after addition of EPE triggers off induction of apoptosis.

• Authors: Tsutomu Arimura, Akiko Kojima-Yuasa, Sanae Watanabe, Mayu Suzuki, David Opare Kennedy, Isao Matsui-Yuasa
• Journal: Chemico-biological interactions (Chem Biol Interact) Vol. 145 Issue 3 Pg. 337-47 (Jun 15 2003) ISSN: 0009-2797 [Print] Ireland
• PMID: 12732460 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Cytochrome c Group
• Plant Extracts
• Reactive Oxygen Species
• Superoxide Dismutase

Topics

• Animals
• Apoptosis (drug effects)
• Carcinoma, Ehrlich Tumor (metabolism, pathology)
• Cell Survival (drug effects)
• Cytochrome c Group (metabolism)
• Cytosol (chemistry, enzymology)
• Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
• Membrane Potentials (drug effects)
• Mice
• Mitochondria (drug effects, metabolism)
• Oenothera biennis (chemistry)
• Plant Extracts (pharmacology)
• Reactive Oxygen Species (metabolism)
• Superoxide Dismutase (metabolism)
• Tumor Cells, Cultured