Fucoidan from Undaria pinnatifida Induces Apoptosis in A549 Human Lung Carcinoma Cells

• Published in: Phytotherapy research Vol. 25; no. 7; pp. 1082 - 1086
• Main Authors: Boo, Hye-Jin, Hyun, Jae-Hee, Kim, Sang-Cheol, Kang, Jung-Il, Kim, Min-Kyoung, Kim, Sun-Yeou, Cho, Heeyeong, Yoo, Eun-Sook, Kang, Hee-Kyoung
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 01-07-2011; Wiley
• Subjects: 1-Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase; A549; AKT protein; Antineoplastic Agents - pharmacology; Antitumor activity; Apoptosis; Apoptosis - drug effects; Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins - metabolism; Bax protein; Bcl-2 protein; Biological and medical sciences; Caspase-3; Caspase-9; caspases; Cell Line, Tumor; Chromatin; Condensation; Extracellular signal-regulated kinase; fucoidan; General pharmacology; Humans; Lung cancer; Lung carcinoma; Lung Neoplasms - metabolism; Lung Neoplasms - pathology; MAP kinase; Medical sciences; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Phytotherapy; PI3K/Akt; Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase; Polysaccharides; Polysaccharides - pharmacology; Undaria - chemistry; Undaria pinnatifida; A549; Bronchopulmonary carcinoma; Bronchopulmonary; Medicinal plant; PI3K/Akt; Heterokontophyta; Undaria pinnatifida; Bronchus disease; Tumor cell; Phaeophyceae; Human; Lung disease; Enzyme; Respiratory disease; Pharmacognosy; Algae; Transferases; Akt protein kinase; Caspase; Mitogen-activated protein kinase; MAP kinase; Malignant tumor; Edible alga; Peptidases; Cell death; Plant origin; Hydrolases; Polysaccharide; caspases; Cancer; Apoptosis
• ISSN: 0951-418X; 1099-1573; 1099-1573
• DOI: 10.1002/ptr.3489

Fucoidan, a sulfated polysaccharide, has various biological activities, such as anticancer, antiangiogenic and antiinflammatory effects; however, the mechanisms of action of fucoidan on anticancer activity have not been fully elucidated. The anticancer effects of fucoidan from Undaria pinnatifida on A549 human lung carcinoma cells were examined. Treatment of A549 cells with fucoidan resulted in potent antiproliferative activity. Also, some typical apoptotic characteristics, such as chromatin condensation and an increase in the population of sub‐G1 hypodiploid cells, were observed. With respect to the mechanism underlying the induction of apoptosis, fucoidan reduced Bcl‐2 expression, but the expression of Bax was increased in a dose‐dependent manner compared with the controls. Furthermore, fucoidan induced caspase‐9 activation, but decreased the level of procaspase‐3. Cleavage of poly‐ADP‐ribose polymerase (PARP), a vital substrate of effector caspase, was found. The study further investigated the role of the MAPK and PI3K/Akt pathways with respect to the apoptotic effect of fucoidan, and showed that fucoidan activates ERK1/2 in A549 cells. Unlike ERK1/2, however, treatment with fucoidan resulted in the down‐regulation of phospho‐p38 expression. In addition, fucoidan resulted in the down‐regulation of phospho‐PI3K/Akt. Together, these results indicate that fucoidan induces apoptosis of A549 human lung cancer cells through down‐regulation of p38, PI3K/Akt, and the activation of the ERK1/2 MAPK pathway. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.