Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 11, 2025

Monitoring Cleaved Caspase-3 Activity and Apoptosis of Immortalized Oligodendroglial Cells using Live-cell Imaging and Cleaveable Fluorogenic-dye Substrates Following Potassium-induced Membrane Depola
10:45

Monitoring Cleaved Caspase-3 Activity and Apoptosis of Immortalized Oligodendroglial Cells using Live-cell Imaging and Cleaveable Fluorogenic-dye Substrates Following Potassium-induced Membrane Depola

Published on: January 13, 2012

16.1K

Opuntiol Inhibits Growth and Induces Apoptosis in Human Glioblastoma Cells by Upregulating Active Caspase 3

Ambreen Ashfaque1, Farina Hanif2, Shabana Usman Simjee3

  • 1Department of Physiology, Dow International Medical College, Dow University of Health Sciences, OJHA Campus, SUPARCO Road, Karachi, Pakistan.

Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention : APJCP
|November 28, 2021
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Opuntiol, a natural anti-inflammatory compound, effectively inhibits Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) cell growth and induces apoptosis. This natural compound shows promise as a potential therapeutic agent against this deadly brain cancer.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Natural Product Chemistry
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) is an aggressive brain tumor with a poor prognosis.
  • Therapeutic resistance, particularly apoptosis resistance, contributes to treatment failure in GBM.
  • Natural anti-inflammatory compounds are being explored for their anti-cancer properties.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the growth inhibitory effects of Opuntiol on the U87 GBM cell line.
  • To assess the apoptotic activity of Opuntiol in U87 GBM cells.
  • To compare the efficacy of Opuntiol with Temozolomide, a standard GBM treatment.

Main Methods:

  • MTT assay for cell viability and growth inhibition.
  • TUNEL assay and DAPI staining for apoptosis assessment (nuclear condensation, NAF).
  • Immunocytochemistry to determine active caspase-3 protein expression.

Main Results:

  • Opuntiol demonstrated significant growth inhibition of U87 cells with an IC50 of 357 µM.
  • Both Opuntiol and Temozolomide significantly increased apoptosis rates and active caspase-3 expression.
  • A significant decrease in nuclear area factor (NAF) was observed in Opuntiol-treated cells.

Conclusions:

  • Opuntiol exhibits significant cell viability repression and potent apoptotic activity against the U87 GBM cell line.
  • These findings suggest Opuntiol's potential as an anti-cancer agent for GBM.
  • Further mechanistic studies are warranted to explore Opuntiol's therapeutic development.
Keywords:
DNA FragmentationNuclear condensationTemozolomide

More Related Videos

Identification of Intracellular Signaling Events Induced in Viable Cells by Interaction with Neighboring Cells Undergoing Apoptotic Cell Death09:18

Identification of Intracellular Signaling Events Induced in Viable Cells by Interaction with Neighboring Cells Undergoing Apoptotic Cell Death

Published on: December 27, 2016

8.8K
Evaluation of Caspase Activation to Assess Innate Immune Cell Death10:23

Evaluation of Caspase Activation to Assess Innate Immune Cell Death

Published on: January 20, 2023

3.4K

Related Concept Videos

Caspases01:24

Caspases

Caspase, a family of cysteine proteases, serve as effectors in apoptosis. The ced3 gene in C.elegans was first identified to be involved in apoptosis. This gene encodes the ced-3 caspase that is similar to the interleukin-1-beta converting enzyme or ICE in mammals. In addition to apoptosis, caspases also function in the inflammatory response. Inflammatory caspases are essential in activating pro-inflammatory cytokines that recruit immune cells and block the replication of pathogens inside...
12.8K
The Intrinsic Apoptotic Pathway01:31

The Intrinsic Apoptotic Pathway

Internal cellular stress, such as cellular injury or hypoxia, triggers intrinsic apoptosis. The B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) family of proteins are the primary regulators of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway. For example, during DNA damage, checkpoint proteins, such as Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated (ATM protein) and Checkpoints Factor-2 (Chk2) proteins, are activated. These proteins phosphorylate p53 which further activates pro-apoptotic proteins, such as Bax, Bak, PUMA, and Noxa, and inhibits...
7.0K
Apoptosis01:30

Apoptosis

Apoptosis is a combination of two Greek words, 'apo' and 'ptosis,' meaning separation and falling off, respectively. Hippocrates used this word to describe gangrene, which was caused due to bandaging of fractured bones. Apoptosis was distinguished from necrosis in 1970 when John Kerr reported observations of morphological changes occurring during apoptosis. During one experiment, he observed that the disruption of blood supply to the liver tissue resulted in a size...
12.2K
The Extrinsic Apoptotic Pathway01:17

The Extrinsic Apoptotic Pathway

The extrinsic apoptotic pathway is initiated when extracellular death-inducing signals, such as specific cytokines, activate the death receptors expressed on the cell surface. The immune cells involved in this pathway are natural killer cells (NK cells) and cytotoxic T-lymphocytes. NK cells are critical in innate immune response, while cytotoxic T-lymphocytes are associated with adaptive immune response. These cells recognize specific receptors expressed on the altered cells and activate...
6.7K
The Retinoblastoma Gene01:20

The Retinoblastoma Gene

Tumor suppressor genes are normal genes that can slow down cell division, repair DNA mistakes, or program the cells for apoptosis in case of irreparable damage. Hence, they play an essential role in preventing the proliferation of damaged cells.
The first-ever tumor suppressor gene called Rb was identified in retinoblastoma - a rare eye tumor in children. In inherited forms of the disease, a child inherits one defective copy of the Rb gene, which predisposes them to retinoblastoma. However,...
4.2K