인체백혈병세포의 증식에 미치는 불등가사리 메탄올 추출물의 영향

Induction of Apoptosis by Methanol Extract of Gloiopeltis furcata in Human Leukemia Cell Line U937

본 연구에서는 다양한 인체암세포의 증식에 미치는 등불가사리 메탄올 추출물(MEGF)의 영향을 조사하였다. MEGF는 처리 농도의존적으로 암세포의 형태적변이 및 증식억제가 효과를 보여주었으며, 특히 백혈병세포에서 가장 높은 감수성을 보여주었다. 따라서 백혈병세포의 증식억제 효과가 apoptosis 유발과 연관성이 있는지를 flow cytometry 분석 및 DAPI staining 법으로 조사한 결과, MEGF 처리에 의한 백혈병세포의 증식억제는 세포주기 교란과 무관한 apoptosis 유발에 의한 것임을 sub-G1기 세포의 빈도 증가 및 apoptotic body 형성의 증가 등으로 확인하였다. 또한 MEGF 처리에 의한 백혈병세포의 증식억제 및 apoptosis 유발은 p53 비의존적인 p21의 발현 증가 및 Fas/FasL system의 발현 증가와 연관성이 있음을 알 수 있었다. 이상의 결과들은 인체 암세포, 특히 백혈병세포에서 MEGF의 항암작용을 이해하는데 중요한 자료가 될 것이고 나아가 MEGF 내 함유된 생리활성 물질의 분리 및 항암적용 연구를 위한 중요한 기초 자료로 활용될 것이다.

Epidemiological studies have indicated that the ubiquitous consumption of seaweeds is a protective factor against some types of cancer. Previous results showed that the administration of seaweed powder or extract reduced the incidence rate of chemically induced tumorigenesis using in vivo animal model. Recently, we reported that the extracts of Gloiopeltis furcata, a kind of Korean edible seaweed, caused he cell growth inhibition of various human cancer cell lines, among them methanol extract exhibited a relatively strong antiproliferative activity. However, the molecular mechanisms of this seaweed in malignant cells have been poorly studied until now. To elucidate this problem, we investigated the effects of methanol extract of G. furcata (MEGF) on the growth inhibition in several human cancer cell lines, and further we analyzed the effects of this extract were tested on the activity of apoptosis induction in human leukemic cells. The results demonstrated that MEGF treatment resulted in the morphological changes and the growth inhibition in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, MEGF potently suppresses the growth of human leukemic U937 cells by induction of apoptosis, which was associated with induction of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21(WAF1/CIP1) in a tumor suppressor p53-independent fashion and up-regulation of Fas/FasL system. Further studies will be needed to identify the active compounds that confer the anticancer activity of MEGF. Once such compounds are identified, the mechanisms by which they exert their effects can begin to be characterized.