J Korean Gastric Cancer Assoc.  2008 Sep;8(3):120-128.

The Effects of Mistletoe Extract and Anti-cancer Drugs on the Apoptosis of Gastric Cancer Cells

• Lee YJ
• Heo SH
• Shin DG
• Kang SK
• Kim IM
• Kim TH

Abstract

PURPOSE: Mistletoe extract was widely used for cancer treatment as complementary or alternative therapy in European area from early twenty century. It is currently used as alternative anti-cancer remedy by piecemeal in domestic medical group, however, the anti-cancer mechanism of mistletoe extract was not known precisely until now. In this study the effect of mistletoe extract on gastric cancer was studied vis cell line experiments.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The SNU719 gastric cancer cell line was used, and ABNOBAviscum-Q and ABNOBAviscum-F were treated to cells as mistletoe extract, or 5-FU and cisplatin were used with mistletoe extract. The cell viability and cell death rate were estimated by CCK-8 assay kit and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay kit in each. Caspase 3 assay kit was used to measure caspase 3 activity. The protein expression amounts of Bcl2, p53, and PTEN were estimated through Western blot analysis.
RESULTS
The co-treatments of mistletoe extract Q/F and 5-FU/cisplatin decreased lesser cell viability than only mistletoe treat. Caspase 3 activity was increased 4~6 times in co-treatment of mistletoe extracts and 5-FU than control. Bcl2 protein expression was reduced by mistletoe extracts or anti-cancer drugs, further more, the co-treatment of mistletoe extracts and 5-FU/cisplatin diminished more the expression than only mistletoe treatment. Mistletoe extracts did not affect the protein expressions of p53 and PTEN.
CONCLUSION
It was concluded that the anti-cancer mechanism of mistletoe extracts was made by caspase 3 activation and lowered Bcl2 expression, and this apoptosis inducing mechanism was independent to p53.

Keyword

Mistletoe extracts; Bcl2; p53; Apoptosis; Synergistic effect

MeSH Terms

Apoptosis
Blotting, Western
Caspase 3
Cell Death
Cell Line
Cell Survival
Cisplatin
Fluorouracil
L-Lactate Dehydrogenase
Mistletoe
Sincalide
Stomach Neoplasms
Caspase 3
Cisplatin
Fluorouracil
L-Lactate Dehydrogenase
Sincalide