The Journal of Toxicological Sciences
Online ISSN : 1880-3989
Print ISSN : 0388-1350
ISSN-L : 0388-1350
Original Article
Platycodin D exerts anti-tumor efficacy in H22 tumor-bearing mice via improving immune function and inducing apoptosis
Wei LiYu-Hong TianYing LiuZi WangShan TangJing ZhangYing-Ping Wang
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JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

2016 Volume 41 Issue 3 Pages 417-428

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Abstract

Platycodin D (PD), a major saponin derived and isolated from the roots of Platycodon grandiflorum, exerts potent growth inhibition and strong cytotoxicity against various cancer cell lines. However, the anti-tumor efficacy of PD on H22 hepatocellular carcinoma remains unknown. In the present study, we aimed to explore the anti-hepatoma activity in vivo and the underlying mechanism of PD in H22 tumor-bearing mice. The results revealed that PD could considerably suppress tumor growth with no significant side effects on immune organs and body weight. Further investigations showed that the levels of serum cytokines, including interferon gamma (IFN-γ), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interleukin-2 (IL-2), were enhanced by PD administration. On the other hand, PD inhibited the production of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in serum of H22 tumor mice. Additionally, the observations from H&E and Hoechst 33258 staining results demonstrated that PD noticeably induced apoptosis in H22 hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Importantly, immunohistochemical analysis showed that PD treatment increased Bax expression and decreased Bcl-2 and VEGF expression of H22 tumor tissues in a dose-dependent manner. Taken together, the findings in the present investigation clearly demonstrated that the PD markedly suppressed the tumor growth of H22 transplanted tumor in vivo at least partly via improving the immune functions, inducing apoptosis, and inhibiting angiogenesis.

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© 2016 The Japanese Society of Toxicology
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