Induction of Apoptosis and Single Strand Breaks by Extract of Pulsatilla Koreana (SB-31).

  • Published : 1996.04.01

Abstract

Extract of Pulsatilla Koreana (SB-31) showed promising antitumor activity in vitro (J. Kor Cancer Asso 26:959-963, 1994). We studied the mechanism of cytotoxicity of SB-31. HL-60 cells were cocultivated with various concentrations of SB-31 for 5 hours. The DNAs from HL-60 cells exposed to SB-31 showed the ladder pattern typical of apoptosis. Effect of SB-31 on topoisomerase I activity was determined by slight modification of the method by E. Aflalo(1994). The pBR322 DNA showed dose-dependent increase of R-Form DNA upon incubation with SB-31. The topoisomerase Ⅰ-like activity (Increase of R-Form DNA) was accentuated with higher dose of SB-31. It is postulated that SB-31, which is a fermentation product of Pulsatilla koreana and which loses its activity when kept in ambient temperature for more than 96 hours, may contain topoisomerase Ⅰ-like activity and the enhanced excessive single strand breaks induced by 55-31 may result in apoptosis.

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