초록
유방암 세포주에서는 우수한 항암활성을 가진 것으로 알려진 indole-3-carbinol을 HepG2세포주에 시간과 농도별로 처리한 결과 cell growth inhibition을 확인하였으며, $IC_{50}$ 값은 48시간배양에서 $446\mu$M 72시간 배양에서 444$\mu$M로 나타났다. $400\mu$M의 I3C을 투여하고, 24, 48, 72시간에 HePG2 세포주의 cell cycle pattern을 분석한 결과, G1 phase에서 P21의증가와 함께 Cdk 6와 cyclin D의 확연한 감소와 Pb protein의 hypo-phosphorylation을 확인하였다. 반면 G2 phase에서는 I3C의 직접적인 억제로 인해 24시간 후부터 Cdc2와 cyclin B1가 급격히 감소하는것을 확인하였다. Flow cytomery 분석결과 I3C 처리 24시간 뒤 G2 arrest (25%)가 발생하였으며, 72시간이 지난후 G1 arrest (53%)가 발생하였다. 이러한 I3C의 간암세포주인 HePG2 cell의 cell cycle arrest가 apoptosis를 유발하는지를 알고자 caspase 3 Bcl2 Bax protein의 발현양상을 확인한 결과 아무런 변화가 보이지 않았다. 즉 I3C은 간암세포주인 HepG2 cell에서 apoptosis를 유도하지 못한다는것을 확인하였따. 결론적으로 I3C은 HepG2 세포주에서 G1와 G2 phase에서 cell cycle arrest는 발생시키나, 특이적으로 apoptosis 와는 연관되지 않는다는 사실을 확인하였다.
The naturally occurring chemical indole-3-carbinol (13C), found in vegetables of the Brassica genus, is a promising anticancer agent that was shown previ- ously to induce a Gl cell cycle arrest of human breast cancer cell lines, independent of estrogen receptor signaling. The anticancer activity of 13C and the possible mechanisms of its action were explored in a human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line, HepG2. Treatment of HepG2 cells with 13C suppressed the growth of the cells. The growth sup- pression caused by 13C ($IC_{50}$/: 444$\mu$M) was found to be partially due to its ability to stop the cell cycle in HepG2 cells. Western blot analysis for the Gl phase artiest demonstrated that the expression-levels of cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk4, Cdk6) and cyclic D were reduced strongly after treatment of Hep72 cells with 13C (4007M) for 24- 72 hrs. Furthermore, I3C selectively abolished the expression of Cdk6 in a dose- and time-dependent manner, and accordingly, inhibited the phosphorylation of retinoblastoma. Interestingly, after the HepG2 cells reached their max- imal growth arrest, the level of the p21, a well-known Cdk inhibitor, increased significantly. Therefore, it could be considered that the Gl arrest of HepG2 cells treated with 13C was due to the indirect inhibition of Cdk4/6 activities by p21 Western blot analysis for G2/M phase arrest of demonstrated the levels of Cdc2 and cyclin Bl werer reduced dramatically after the treatment of HepG2 cells with 13C ($40\mu$M) for 24-72 hrs. flow cytometry of propidium iodide-stained HepG2 cells revealed that 13C induces a Gl (53%,72hr incubation) and G2 (25%,24hr incubation) cell cycle arrest. Thus, our observations have uncovered a previously undefined antiproliferative pathway for r3C that implicates Cdk4/6 and Cdc2 as a target for cell cycle control in human HepG2 cells. However, the 13C-medi- ated cell cycle arrest and repression of Cdk4/6 production did not affect the apoptotic induction of HepG2 cell.