Apoptosis of Human Jurkat T Cells Induced by the Methylene Chloride Extract from the Stems of Zanthoxylum schinifolium is Associated with Intrinsic Mitochondria-Dependent Activation of Caspase Pathway

To examine antitumor activity of the edible plant Zanthoxylum schinifolium, the cytotoxic effect of various organic solvent extracts of its stems on human acute leukemia Jurkat T cells was investigated. Among these extracts such as methanol extract (SS-7), methylene chloride extract (SS-8), ethyl acetate extract (SS-9), n-butanol extract (SS-10), and residual fraction (SL-11), SS-8 exhibited the most cytotoxic activity against Jurkat T cells. The methylene chloride extract (SS-8) possessed the apoptogenic activity capable of inducing sub-G1 peak along with apoptotic DNA fragmentation in Jurkat T cells. Western blot analysis revealed that SS-8 induced apoptosis via mitochondrial cytochrome c release into cytoplasm, subsequent activation of caspase-9 and caspase-3, and cleavage of PARP, which could be blocked by overexpression of Bcl-xL. Jurkat T cell clone I2.1 $FADD^{-/-}$) and Jurkat T cell clone I9.2 (caspase-$8^{-/-}$ were as sensitive as was the wild-type Jurkat T cell clone A3 to the cytotoxic effect of SS-8, suggesting no contribution of Fas/FasL system to the SS-8-mediated apoptosis. The GC-MS analysis of SS-8 showed that it was composed of 16 ingredients including 9,12-octadecanoic acid (18.62%), 2,4-dihydro-5-methyl-4- (1-methylethylidene)- 2-(4-nitrophenyl)-3H- pyrazol-3-one (14.97%), hexadecanoic acid (14.23%), (z,z)-6,9-pentadecadien- 1-ol (13.73%), 5,6-dimethoxy-2-methyl benzofuran (10.95%), and 4-methoxy-2-methylcinnamic acid (5.38%). These results demonstrate that the methylene chloride extract of the stems of Z. schinifolium can induce apoptotic cell death in Jurkat T cells via intrinsic mitochondria-dependent caspase cascade regulated by Bcl-xL without involvement of the Fas/FasL system.

인체 급성백혈병 Jurkat T 세포에 있어서 Zanthoxylum schinifolium 줄기의 methylene chloride 추출물에 의해 유도되는 세포자살기전 규명

식용 및 약용으로 이용되는 산초(Zanthoxylum schinifolium)의 줄기로부터 항암활성 성분을 분리하기 위하여, 산초 줄기를 유기용매로 추출하고 각 추출물의 인체 급성백혈병 암세포에 대한 독성 및 세포자살 유도 활성을 조사하였다. Methanol (SS-7), methylene chloride (SS-8), ethyl acetate (SS-9), n-butanol (SS-10)로 추출한 각 시료와 유기용매 추출 후 잔여분획 (SL-14)의 세포 독성을 인체 급성백혈병 Jurkat T 세포주를 대상으로 조사한 결과, 암세포에 대한 세포독성이 주로 methylene chloride 추출분획인 (SS-8)에서 확인되었다. Methylene chloride 추출물 (SS-8)의 Jurkat T 세포주에 대한 세포독성의 기전은 mitochondria로부터cytochrome c 방출, caspase-9 및 caspase-3의 활성화, PARP 분해, internucleosomal DNA fragmentation 등의 일련의 생화학적 반응을 수반하며, 항 세포자살단백질인 Bcl-xL단백질의 과발현에 의해 억제되는 세포자살 기전임을 확인하였다. FADD가 disruption된 Jurkat T cell clone I2.1 ($FADD^{-/-}$) 및 caspase-8가 결핍된 Jurkat T cell clone I9.2 (caspase-$8^{-/-}$)와 함께 the wild-type Jurkat T cell clone A3에 미치는 SS-8의 세포독성작용을 비교 분석한 결과, wild-type Jurkat A3, FADD-deficient Jurkat clone I2.1및 caspase-8-deficient Jurkat clone I9.2 모두는 SS-8의 세포독성에 대해 유사한 정도의 감수성을 나타내었다. 이는 SS-8에 의해 유도되는 apoptosis에 있어서, Fas/FasL system이 관계되지 않음을 시사한다. 한편, SS-8를 GC-MS 분석하여, 9,12-octadecanoic acid (18.62%), 2,4-dihydro-5-methyl-4-(1-methylethylidene)-2-(4-nitrophenyl)- 3H-pyrazol-3-one (14.97%), hexadecanoic acid (14.23%), (z,z)-6,9-pentadecadien-1-ol (13.73%), 5,6-dimethoxy- 2-methyl benzofuran (10.95%), 그리고 4-methoxy-2-methylcinnamic acid (5.38%) 등을 포함한 16가지의 구성 성분과 그 조성비를 확인하였다. 이상의 연구결과는 산초 줄기에 함유된 항암 활성에 대한 규명과 이해를 증진시킨다.