Scutellariae radixInduces Apoptosis in Chemoresistant SCC-25 Human Tongue Squamous Carcinoma Cells

Abstract

Scutellariae radix is one of the most widely used anticancer herbal medicines in several Asian countries, including Korea, Japan, and China. Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is one of the most common head and neck carcinomas, which is highly invasive and metastatic, and can potentially develop chemoresistance. Therefore, new effective treatment methods are urgently needed. We determined the effects of Scutellariae radix on SCC-25 cells using the WST-1 assay, F-actin staining, flow cytometry analysis, immunofluorescence staining, and western blot analysis. Scutellariae radix treatment inhibited SCC-25 cell growth in a dose- and time-dependent manner, but it did not inhibit HaCaT (human keratinocyte) cell growth. Changes in cell morphology and disruption of filamentous (F)-actin organization were observed. Scutellariae radix-induced apoptosis as indicated by the translocation of cytochrome c and apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) into the nucleus and cytosol. Scutellariae radix-induced an increase in cells with sub-G1 DNA content, and increased Bax, cleaved caspase-3, caspase-7, caspase-9, DNA fragmentation factor 45 (DFF 45), and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) expression levels. Furthermore, increased expression of phosphorylated mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)-related proteins was detected. The antitumor effect of Scutellariae radix was due to decreased cell proliferation, changes in cell morphology, and the activation of caspase and MAPK pathways. Taken together, the findings of this study highlight the anticancer activity of Scutellariae radix in chemoresistant SCC-25 oral squamous carcinoma cells.

Conventional Western Treatment Associated With Chinese Herbal Medicine Ameliorates the Incidence of Head and Neck Cancer Among Patients With Esophageal Cancer

“…53,54 Significantly, Magnolia officinalis and Scutellaria baicalensis were reported to induce apoptosis both in esophageal and H&N cancers, which could contribute to clinical anticancer effects. 22,23,55,56 The biological anticancer activities and possible mechanisms of the most common single herbs are illustrated in Supplementary Table 3. 22,23,34,54-66…”

“…53,54 Significantly, Magnolia officinalis and Scutellaria baicalensis were reported to induce apoptosis both in esophageal and H&N cancers, which could contribute to clinical anticancer effects. 22,23,55,56 The biological anticancer activities and possible mechanisms of the most common single herbs are illustrated in Supplementary Table 3. 22,23,34,[54][55][56][57][58][59][60][61][62][63][64][65][66] The data used for the present study were extracted from the NHIRD; however, there inevitably exist some limitations and flaws.…”

“…22,23,55,56 The biological anticancer activities and possible mechanisms of the most common single herbs are illustrated in Supplementary Table 3. 22,23,34,[54][55][56][57][58][59][60][61][62][63][64][65][66] The data used for the present study were extracted from the NHIRD; however, there inevitably exist some limitations and flaws. The NHI does not provide patient specifics, including laboratory data, images, pathology reports, disease stage, metastasis status, or lifestyle details.…”

Network Pharmacology‐Based Study on the Mechanism of Scutellariae Radix for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treatment

“…Scutellariae Radix (SR) is the root of plant Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi (Lamiaceae). SR is a well-known anti-inflammatory and anticarcinogenic herbal medicine [ 10 , 11 ], which can prevent and treat liver injuries caused by hepatitis and liver cancer. SR has certain components, such as baicalin and baicalein, which show an evident antitumor effect on hepatocarcinoma [ 12 – 14 ].…”

Protective effects of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi against hydrogen peroxide-induced DNA damage and apoptosis in HaCaT human skin keratinocytes

“…The root of S. baicalensis , Scutellariae Radix, has been used worldwide in traditional medicine for the treatment of various human diseases (Boyle et al, 2011[3]). Previous studies have indicated that the extracts of S. baicalensis and its biogenic active ingredients have various pharmacological properties, including antibacterial (Chung et al, 2014[13]), antioxidant (Lin et al, 2014[30]; Chang et al, 2016[7]), anti-tumor (Choi et al, 2015[9], 2016[11]), anti-obesity (Song et al, 2013[42]), anti-asthmatic (Ko et al, 2014[26]; Zhou et al, 2016[47]), anti-hypotensive (Huang et al, 2005[18]; Deng et al, 2012[15]), neuroprotective (Shang et al, 2013[41]; Moon and Park, 2015[33]), and anti-inflammatory activities (Ku and Bae, 2015[27]; Seok et al, 2016[40]). We have recently demonstrated that the protective effects of baicalein, an active component of S. baicalensis , against oxidative stress-induced damage through activation of Nrf2 signaling pathway (Choi et al, 2016[10]).…”