Puerarin Induces Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cell Apoptosis Modulated by MAPK Signaling Pathways in a Dose-dependent Manner.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Puerarin possesses a battery of therapeutic values in diverse disorders, including pro-apoptotic actions in multiple cancers. Herein, we investigated the effects of puerarin on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in vitro. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MTT and flow cytometry were carried out to evaluate the viability and apoptosis of SMMC-7721 HCC cells in the presence of different concentrations of puerarin. Moreover, expression levels, as well as phosphorylation status of several canonical components in mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways, including extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2), c- Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), p38, were measured by reverse transcription and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and western blot analysis at indicated time intervals. RESULTS: Puerarin inhibited proliferation of SMMC-7721 cells and promoted their apoptosis in a dose- and time-dependent fashion (p<0.05). Both the expression and phosphorylation levels of MAPK proteins were dramatically increased on puerarin treatment. CONCLUSION: Puerarin could be employed as a potential anti-carcinogen that exhibits pro-apoptotic effects on HCC cells, in a dose- and time-dependent manner, with emphasis on MAPK pathways whose initiation may contribute to this process.