Apoptic and antimetastatic effects of ursolic acid isolated from Oldenlandia diffusae Herba

백화사설초(白花蛇舌草)로부터 분리(分離)한 ursolic acid의 자연살해효과(自然殺害效果)와 항전이작용(抗轉移作用)

Ursolic acid(UA) was isolated from Oldenlandiae diffusae Herba, one of the commonly used medicinal herbs for the treatment of cancer. IC50 of UA against cancer cell lines as SNU-1, B16-Fo. SK-OV3, HCT15, XF498, SK-MEL and A549 was $6{\mu}g/ml$, 4$4.4{\mu}g/ml$, $4.5{\mu}g/ml$, $4.6{\mu}g/ml$ and $4.2{\mu}g/ml$ respectively suggesting cytotoxicity against cancer cells. DNA fragmentation was expressed from the concnetration of $5.5{\mu}g/ml$ of UA by agarose electrphoresis. In the observation of morphological changes by phase contrast microscope, SEM and TEM, cell injury and condensation of cytoplasm from nucleus began 4 hr after UA treatment. fragmentaion of nucleus and injury of cell membrane was shown 24 hr after UA treatmeilt with SNU-1 cells. Aurin tricarboxic acid as endonuclease inhibitor. and nicotinamide as poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor protected over 50% of cytotoxicity of UA against SNU-1 was at the concentrations of $3{\mu}M$ and $300{\mu}M$ respectively suggesting UA acts on nucleus. These results suggest that UA had antimetastatic effect and induced apoptosis.