[Study on the apoptosis inducing effect of pseudolaric acid B on cervical carcinoma cell line HeLa cells]

To investigate the biological effect and mechanism of action of pseudolaric acid B (PAB) on the cultured human HeLa cells in vitro.

MTT and flow cytometric assays were used to detect the cells proliferation inhibitory rate and apoptosis of HeLa cell in exposure to PAB; the morphological changes of apoptosis were observed with electron microscope; and the expressions of p53/bcl-2/bax mRNA were detected by RT-PCR.

(1) HeLa cell proliferation was inhibited by PAB in a dose-dependent manner, the IC50 being about 10 micromol/L; (2) flow cytometry showed that the distribution of HeLa cell cycle was changed time-dependently by 10 micromol/L PAB-treatment, showing decrease of G0/G1 phase cell percentage and increase of G2/M phase cell percentage; (3) the bax mRNA expression elevated and bcl-2 protein expression decreased markedly after being treated by 10 micromol/L PAB for 12 h, 24 h, and 48 h; while the expression of p53 mRNA could not be detected.

PAB can inhibit the proliferation and induce the apoptosis of Hela cells in vitro, and its molecular mechanism may be associated with up-regulating bax mRNA expression and down-regulating bcl-2 mRNA expression.