The apoptotic effect of cordycepin on human OEC-M1 oral cancer cell line

Abstract

Cordycepin (3'-deoxyadenosine), a pure compound of Cordyceps sinensis, has been illustrated with anti-tumor effects. In the present study, the apoptotic effect of cordycepin on OEC-M1, a human oral squamous cancer cell line, was investigated by morphological observations, cell viability assay, annexin V-FITC analysis and flow cytometry methods. Results demonstrated that the number of rounded-up cell increased as treatment duration of cordycepin (100 microM) increased from 3 to 48 h, and the plasma membrane blebbing could be observed after 12 h treatment. In cell viability assay, cell surviving rate significantly decreased as the dosage and duration of cordycepin treatment increased (P < 0.05). Moreover, phosphatidylserine flipping on cell membrane could be detected with 3, 6 and 12 h cordycepin treatment, which indicated an early apoptotic phenomenon. Furthermore, cell cycle studies illustrated that the percentage of G1 phase cell declined as the dosages of cordycepin increased (10 microM to 5 mM), while the percentages of G2M and subG1 phase cell increased (P < 0.05) in 12, 24 and 48 h cordycepin treatment. These results further confirmed the apoptotic event. In conclusion, cordycepin significantly induced cell apoptotsis in OEC-M1 human oral squamous cancer cells.

Cordyceps Mushroom: A Potent Anticancer Nutraceutical

“…Furthermore, EPSF of C. sinensis decreased the levels of Bcl-2 in the lungs and livers [22]. The antitumor activity of C. sinensis by inducing apoptosis was also found in human colorectal (HT-29 and HCT 116), hepatocellular (Hep 3B and Hep G2) carcinoma cells [32] and human oral squamous cancer cell line (OEC-M1) [33]. Interestingly, Tang et al [34] reported that C. sinensis reduced Angiotensin II induced NRK-52E cell apoptosis, which may be part of its mechanism of the protective effects on hypertensive renal damage.…”

“…Cordycepin was isolated from the water extract of C. sinensis [33,48]. Later the major component of the butanol fraction of C. militaris was also identified as cordycepin by high performance liquid chromatography [49].…”

Icariin induces apoptosis in mouse MLTC-10 Leydig tumor cells through activation of the mitochondrial pathway and down-regulation of the expression of piwil4

“…Studies in vitro and in a mouse model have suggested that imatinib may also be active in malignant Leydig cell tumors (20). Cordycepin a constituent from the mycelia of Cordyceps sinensis (CS), is considered an active component with antitumor effects in mouse melanoma and lung carcinoma cells and in human oral cancer cells (21,22). In addition, Jen et al have demonstrated that cordycepin exhibited an antitumor effect in Leydig cell tumors (23).…”

Apoptotic effect of cordycepin on A549 human lung cancer cell line

“…More recently, many studies have shown that the extracts of C. militaris or the bioactive metabolite cordycepin may induce apoptosis in various cell lines such as human colorectal cancer cell lines (SW480 and SW620), breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231, leukemia (U937 and THP-1), neuroblastoma SK-N-BE(2)-C (CRL-2268), and melanoma SK-Mel-2 (HTB-68) cell lines (Park et al, 2005;Lee et al, 2006;Lui et al, 2007;Wu et al, 2007;Paterson, 2008;Tuli et al, 2013). Apoptosis is characterized mainly by a series of distinct changes in cell morphology, such as blebbing, loss of cell attachment, cytoplasmic contraction, DNA fragmentation, and other biochemical changes including the activation of caspases through extrinsic and/ or intrinsic mitochondrial pathways (Tuli et al, 2013).…”