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. 2017 Jan 26;25(2):233-239.
doi: 10.3727/096504016X14742891049073.

Induction of Apoptosis by Berberine in Hepatocellular Carcinoma HepG2 Cells via Downregulation of NF-κB

Min Li  1 , Mao Zhang, Zhi-Lang Zhang, Ning Liu, Xiao-Yu Han, Qin-Cheng Liu, Wei-Jun Deng, Cai-Xian Liao
Affiliations

Induction of Apoptosis by Berberine in Hepatocellular Carcinoma HepG2 Cells via Downregulation of NF-κB

Min Li et al. Oncol Res. .

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is highly resistant to traditional chemotherapeutic approaches, which causes difficulty in the development of effective drugs for the treatment of HCC. Berberine, a major ingredient of Rhizoma coptidis, is a natural alkaloid used in traditional Chinese medicine. Berberine exhibits potent antitumor activity against HCC due to its high efficiency and low toxicity. In the present study, we found that berberine sensitized HepG cells to NF-κB-mediated apoptosis. Berberine exhibited a significant antiproliferation effect on the HepG2 cells and promoted apoptosis. Both qRT-PCR and immunofluorescence staining revealed that berberine reduced the NF-κB p65 levels in HepG2 cells. Moreover, p65 overexpression rescued berberine-induced cell proliferation and prevented HepG2 cells from undergoing apoptosis. These results suggest that berberine inhibits the growth of HepG2 cells by promoting apoptosis through the NF-κB p65 pathway.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Chemical structure of berberine.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Berberine induced the inhibition of human hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cells and promoted apoptosis. Cell viability (A) and apoptosis (B, C) were analyzed in the HepG2 cell line by treatment with varying concentrations of berberine (0, 10, 50, and 100 μM). (D) Hoechst staining assay. Data are presented as means ± SD of the percentage of untreated controls (0.1% DMSO). #p < 0.01 versus control; *p < 0.05 versus control; ***p < 0.001 versus control.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Effects of berberine on expression of NF-κB p65 proteins and mRNA levels in HepG2 cells. (A) NF-κB p65 mRNA expression levels. (B) NF-κB p65 was examined by immunofluorescence staining. *p < 0.05 versus control; ***p < 0.001 versus control.
Figure 4
Figure 4
HepG2 cells were transfected with p65, and the protein levels of p65 were determined. (A) Western blotting assay. (B) Immunofluorescence staining.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Moderation of berberine-induced HepG2 cell proliferation and apoptosis. (A) CCK-8 assay. (B, C) Apoptosis of HepG2 cells. (D) Hoechst staining assay. Data are presented as means ± SD of three independent experiments. *p < 0.05 versus control.
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