PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - TSAN-HUNG CHIU AU - WAN-WEN LAI AU - TE-CHUN HSIA AU - JAI-SING YANG AU - TUNG-YUAN LAI AU - PING-PING WU AU - CHIA-YU MA AU - CHIN-CHUNG YEH AU - CHIN-CHIN HO AU - HSU-FENG LU AU - W. GIBSON WOOD AU - JING-GUNG CHUNG TI - Aloe-emodin Induces Cell Death through S-Phase Arrest and Caspase-dependent Pathways in Human Tongue Squamous Cancer SCC-4 Cells DP - 2009 Nov 01 TA - Anticancer Research PG - 4503--4511 VI - 29 IP - 11 4099 - http://ar.iiarjournals.org/content/29/11/4503.short 4100 - http://ar.iiarjournals.org/content/29/11/4503.full SO - Anticancer Res2009 Nov 01; 29 AB - Aloe-emodin, one of the anthraquinones, has been shown to have anticancer activity in different kinds of human cancer cell lines. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the anti-cancer effect of aloe-emodin on human tongue squamous carcinoma SCC-4 cells. The results indicated that aloe-emodin induced cell death through S-phase arrest and apoptosis in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Treatment with 30 μM of aloe-emodin led to S-phase arrest through promoted p53, p21 and p27, but inhibited cyclin A, E, thymidylate synthase and Cdc25A levels. Aloe-emodin promoted the release of apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF), endonuclease G (Endo G), pro-caspase-9 and cytochrome c from the mitochondria via a loss of the mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) which was associated with a increase in the ratio of B-cell lymphoma 2-associated X protein (Bax)/B cell lymphoma/leukemia-2 (Bcl-2) and activation of caspase-9 and -3. The free radical scavenger N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and caspase inhibitors markedly blocked aloe-emodin-induced apoptosis. Aloe-emodin thus induced apoptosis in the SCC-4 cells through the Fas/death-receptor, mitochondria and caspase cascade. Aloe-emodin could be a novel chemotherapeutic drug candidate for the treatment of human tongue squamous cancer in the future.