The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of
farnesol on the induction of apoptosis in DU145
prostate cancer cells.
3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide assay showed that cell proliferation decreased significantly in a dose- and time-dependent manner.
4',6-Diamidino-2-phenylindole staining showed that
chromatin condensation in cells treated with 60 µM of
farnesol was markedly higher than in the control groups.
Farnesol increased the expression of p53, p-
c-Jun N-terminal kinase, cleaved-caspase-3, Bax, and cleaved-caspase-9, but decreased the expression of p-phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K), p-Akt, p-p38, Bcl-2, and p-extracellular signal-regulated
protein kinase, in a dose-dependent manner. The apoptotic cell ratio increased in a dose-dependent manner. The
tumor growth inhibitory effect of
farnesol was investigated in a mouse model. Compared to the control group,
tumor volume decreased significantly in the group administered 50 mg/kg
farnesol. Apoptosis was frequently detected in this same group by
terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling assay. The results indicated that
farnesol induced apoptosis of DU145
prostate cancer cells through the PI3K/Akt and
mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathways.