Chalcone(1,3-diphenyl-2-propen-1-one) induces apoptosis of HeLa CD4~+ cells through caspase signaling pathways

摘要

Chalcone(1,3-diphenyl-2-propen-1-one), a precursor of all flavonoids, is distributed widely among higher plants, and chalcone derivatives have been reported to exhibit antitumor activity in vitro as well as in vivo. However, few reports have detailed the mechanism through which chalcone induces apoptosis. Thus, this study was undertaken to investigate the apoptotic effect of chalcone on cervical cancer cells in vitro. The effect of chalcone on HeLa CD4~+ cell viability was evaluated with the CCK-8 assay, which revealed that chalcone can reduce the viability of HeLa CD4~+ cells. Morphological and biochemical assays, including phase contrast and PI staining fluorescence microscopy, were used to examine apoptosis induction. Both fluorescence and phase contrast microscopy showed that 24 h treatments with chalcone induced typical apoptotic features in HeLa CD4~+ cells, including chromatin condensation, DNA fragmentation, and apoptotic body formation. Annexin V/PI assays were performed using flow cytometry to quantitatively test the effect of chalcone on apoptosis, revealing that chalcone induced apoptosis of HeLa CD4~+ cells. Finally, activity of caspase-8, -9, and -3 was induced by chalcone treatment, indicating that chalcone induces apoptosis of HeLa CD4~+ cells via the caspase signaling pathway.