Effects Of Artesunate On The Biological Function Of Hepatocellular Carcinoma HepG2 Cells

Objective:To study the effect of artesunate on the proliferation and apoptosis of human hepatocelluar carcinoma HepG2 cells. And to investigate the sensitizing effect of artesunate on HepG2 cells to chemotherapeutic drugs.Methods:Test the effect of artesunate on inhibiting proliferation of HepG2 cells and LoVo cells by WST-8 test. The morphology of apoptosis of HepG2 cells was examined by fluorescence microscope after hoechst 33258 staining, while the clone formation of HepG2 was detected by clone formation assay. The cell cycle and the percentage of hypodiploid cells of HepG2 cells treated with artesunate for 48 h were determined with propidium iodide (PI) staining by flow cytometry. Apoptosis was detected with Annexin V-PI dual parameter by flow cytometry. Test the sensitizing effect of artesunate on HepG2 cells to chemothrapeutic drugs by WST-8.Results:When HepG2 cells and LoVo cells were treated with artesunate for 48h, their proliferation were significantly inhibited. Their IC50 were 19.2 umol/1 and 68.3 umol/1 respectively. When the concentration is higher, the inhibitory rate is higher. Compared with control group, the clone formation of HepG2 cells treated with artesunate for 7days was also significantly inhibited. After treated with artesunate for 48 h, apoptosis morpholofical alterations, such as chromation sondensation and apoptotic bodies were observed by staining with Hoechst 33258 under the fluorescence microscope. Compared with control group, the cells in G2 phase increased obviously. Percentages of hypodiploid cells and early apoptosis rates were significantly higher in treatment groups than those in control group.The IC50 of 5-Fu was changed from 8.59 ug/ml to 2.58 ug/ml after combined with artesunate, which was 3.33 times of single 5-Fu. The combition of 5-Fu, carboplatin and epirubicin with artesunate enhanced the chemotherapeutic effect of them on HepG2 cells, which was 3.33,2.02 and 1.71 times as compared with the origins, respectively.Conclusion:Artesunate can effectively inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis on HepG2 cells. Aresunate also can sensitize HepG2 cells to chemotheapeautic drugs.