Anti-tumor activity of Gastrodia elata Blume is closely associated with a GTP-Ras-dependent pathway

• Published in: Oncology reports Vol. 18; no. 4; pp. 849 - 853
• Main Authors: HEO, Jin-Chul, WOO, Sang-Uk, LEE, Sang-Han, SON, Minsik, PARK, Ja-Young, CHOI, Won-Sik, CHANG, Kyu-Tae, KIM, Sung-Uk, YOON, Eun-Kyung, KIM, Yong-Hoon, HEUNG MOOK SHIN
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Athens S.n. 01.10.2007
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; cdc42 GTP-Binding Protein - genetics; cdc42 GTP-Binding Protein - metabolism; Cells, Cultured - drug effects; Cells, Cultured - metabolism; Collagen; Dermatology; Drug Combinations; Endothelium, Vascular - cytology; Endothelium, Vascular - drug effects; Endothelium, Vascular - metabolism; Gastrodia - chemistry; Gastrodia elata; Hyaluronan Receptors - genetics; Hyaluronan Receptors - metabolism; Laminin; Medical sciences; Medicine, East Asian Traditional; Melanoma, Experimental - drug therapy; Melanoma, Experimental - metabolism; Melanoma, Experimental - pathology; Mice; Neoplasm Invasiveness - pathology; Phytotherapy; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Proteoglycans; ras Proteins - genetics; ras Proteins - metabolism; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; rhoA GTP-Binding Protein - genetics; rhoA GTP-Binding Protein - metabolism; RNA, Messenger - genetics; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; Signal Transduction - drug effects; Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-2 - genetics; Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-2 - metabolism; Tumors; Tumors of the skin and soft tissue. Premalignant lesions; Umbilical Veins - cytology; Umbilical Veins - drug effects; Umbilical Veins - metabolism; Wound Healing - drug effects; anti-tumor; GTP; Cancerology; GTP-Ras-dependent pathway; C-Onc gene; Malignant melanoma; Gastrodia elata Blume; B-Lymphocyte; Malignant tumor; B 16 melanoma cells; Biological activity; Protooncogene
• ISSN: 1021-335X; 1791-2431
• DOI: 10.3892/or.18.4.849

Gastrodia elata Blume (GEB) is an important medicinal plant in Korea. In order to confirm the anti-tumor activities of GEB extracts, we carried out various in vitro anti-tumor assays, including a wound assay and an invasion assay using an ethyl ether extract of GEB. The results showed that the GEB extract exhibits potent anti-tumor activity in vitro in a dose-dependent manner. The expression of CD44, cdc42, Timp-2 or RhoA mRNA did not change by GEB treatment, compared to that of the control. GTP-Ras, an active form of a G-coupled protein family, however, is associated with the anti-tumor activity of GEB extracts. We examined various molecular markers related to metastasis by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction with the extract of GEB-treated B16 cells. There was an increase in GTP-Ras expression by the Gastrodia elata Blume extract. Together, these results suggest that the Gastrodia elata Blume extract could have potential in alleviating tumorigenesis, by a GTP-Ras-dependent pathway; although the precise molecular mechanisms are still being examined.