Autophagy-related gene 7 (ATG7) and reactive oxygen species/extracellular signal-regulated kinase regulate tetrandrine-induced autophagy in human hepatocellular carcinoma.

ABSTRACT: Tetrandrine, a bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloid isolated from the broadly used Chinese medicinal herb Stephaniae tetrandrae, exhibits potent antitumor effects and has the potential to be used as a cancer chemotherapeutic agent. We previously reported that high concentrations of tetrandrine induce apoptosis in liver cancer cells. Here, we found that in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells, a low dose of tetrandrine (5 μm) induced the expression of LC3-II, resulted in the formation of acidic autophagolysosome vacuoles (AVOs), and caused a punctate fluorescence pattern with the GFP-LC3 protein, which all are markers for cellular autophagy. Tetrandrine induced the production of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), and treatment with ROS scavengers significantly abrogated the tetran

SUBMITTER: Gong K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3471698 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature