• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.1548-1555
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• 2006

Bujeonghangam-tang(BHT) has been used as an anticancer agent in oriental medicine, but the mechanism by which it induces cell death in cancer cells is still unclear. To investigate cell death mechanism by BHT in cancer cells, the activities of apoptosis signaling pathway were tested in human neuroblastoma cell line LAN5. Viability of LAN5 cells was markedly decreased by treatment of the water extract of BHT in a dose-dependent manner. BHT induced cell death was confirmed as apoptosis characterized by chromatin condensation. We tested whether the water extract of BHT affects the anti-apoptotic protein such as Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL, and the pro-apoptotic protein such as Bax. Both Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL were gradually decreased but Bas was increased in a time-dependent manner after the addition of the water extract of BHT. Cleavage of Bid by activation of caspase-8 protease was also observed in LAN-5 cells by the treatment of the water extract of BHT. Taken together, these results suggest that the water extract of BHT exerts anti-cancer effects on human neuroblastoma LAN-5 cells by inducing the apoptotic death via down-regulation of anti-apoptotic proteins such as Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL, up-regulation of pro-apoptotic protein such as Bax, and activation of intrinsic caspase cascades.