Beneficial effect of flavonoid baicalein in cisplatin-induced cell death of human glioma cells

• Published in: Neuroscience letters Vol. 382; no. 1; pp. 71 - 75
• Main Authors: Lee, Sang Weon, Song, Geun Sung, Kwon, Chae Hwa, Kim, Yong Keun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier Ireland Ltd 01.07.2005; Elsevier
• Subjects: Antineoplastic Agents - antagonists & inhibitors; Antineoplastic Agents - toxicity; Antioxidants - pharmacology; Apoptosis; Baicalein; bcl-2-Associated X Protein; Biological and medical sciences; Caspase 3; Caspases - metabolism; Cell Death - drug effects; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Survival - drug effects; Cisplatin; Cisplatin - antagonists & inhibitors; Cisplatin - toxicity; Colorimetry; Cytochromes c - metabolism; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; ERK; Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases - antagonists & inhibitors; Flavanones - pharmacology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Glioma - pathology; Human glioma cells; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Membrane Potentials - drug effects; Mitochondria - drug effects; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 - biosynthesis; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 - genetics; Tetrazolium Salts; Thiazoles; Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs; Baicalein; Human glioma cells; Cisplatin; Apoptosis; ERK; Human; Extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase; Enzyme; Antioxidant; Flavonoid; Polyphenol; Cell line; Cell death; Proanthocyanidin
• ISSN: 0304-3940; 1872-7972
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2005.03.005

Flavonoids are a family of polyphenolic compounds found ubiquitously in fruits and vegetables as well as in food products and beverages derived from plants. Baicalein is a flavonoid extracted from the root of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, a medicinal plant traditionally used in Oriental medicine. Baicalein exerts either proapoptotic or anti-apoptotic effects in different cell types. The present study was, therefore, undertaken to examine the effect of baicalein on cisplatin-induced apoptosis of human glioma cells. Cisplatin resulted in cell death in a dose- and time-dependent manner and the cell death was attributed to apoptosis. Baicalein prevented loss of cell viability and apoptosis induced by cisplatin in a dose-dependent fashion over the concentrations of 2–10 μM. Exposure of cells to baicalein without cisplatin did not affect cell viability. Western blot analysis demonstrated that cisplatin induced activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), which was not affected by baicalein. Baicalein prevented Bax expression, mitochondrial depolarization, cytochrome c release from mitochondria, and caspase activation induced by cisplatin. Taken together, these findings suggest that baicalein prevents cisplatin-induced apoptosis through inhibition of the mitochondrial depolarization in human glioma cells.