Zinc oxide nanoparticles promotes liver cancer cell apoptosis through inducing autophagy and promoting p53

Emerging evidence has highlighted the promising potential of the application of Zinc Oxide nanoparticles (nano-ZnO) but the mechanism by how it functions in liver cancer remains elusive. We aimed to explore the effect of nano-ZnO on liver cancer cells.

Liver cancer cells Huh7 cells were transfected with GFP-LC3, and then, treated with DMSO, Sorafenib, and nano-ZnO respectively to set blank group, Sorafenib control group, and nano-ZnO group followed by the analysis of the expression of GFP-LC3, p53, and Caspase by Western blot and RT-qPCR, cell apoptosis and viability by flow cytometry and CCK-8 assay.

With a diameter of nano-ZnO 14.13±0.92 nm, the amount of GFP-LC3 protein was increased after treatment of nano-ZnO. Besides, the expressions of GFP-LC3, p53, and Caspase in Sorafenib group and nano-ZnO group were significantly higher than that of control group, while their levels were highest in nano-ZnO group (p<0.05). In nano-ZnO group, the values of D450nm at 24 h, 48h, and 72 h were 0.56±0.06, 0.39±0.05, and 0.22±0.04, respectively, and the apoptotic rate (83.11±2.79%) was significantly lower than that of blank group and control group.

Nano-ZnO induced autophagy, upregulated the p53 gene, and facilitated the apoptosis of liver cancer cells, indicating that nano-ZnO might be a therapeutic approach for the treatment of liver cancer patients.