Apoptosis induction of human lung carcinoma cells by Chan Su (Venenum Bufonis) through activation of caspases.

Chan Su is a traditional Chinese medicine prepared from the dried white secretion of the auricular and skin glands of toads, and has been used as an oriental drug for the treatment of a number of diseases, including cancer. In this study, the potential of Chan Su (skin of Venenum Bufonis) to induce apoptosis in human lung carcinoma A549 cells was investigated. Treatment of A549 cells with skin of Venenum Bufonis resulted in the inhibition of cell growth and viability and the induction of apoptosis, which was shown by trypan blue counts, MTT assay, DAPI staining and flow cytometry analysis. The increase in apoptosis that was induced by skin of Venenum Bufonis was correlated with down-regulation of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 expression, up-regulation of pro-apoptotic Fas ligand and death receptor 4, and a decrease in the mitochondrial membrane potential. Skin of Venenum Bufonis treatment induced the proteolytic activation of caspases and a concomitant degradation of poly(ADP-ribose)-polymerase and beta-catenin protein. Cleavage of Bid and a down-regulation of the inhibitor of apoptosis family proteins were also observed in skin of Venenum Bufonis-treated A549 cells. Data from this study indicates that SVB induces the apoptosis of A549 cells through a signaling cascade of death receptor-mediated extrinsic and mitochondria-mediated intrinsic caspase pathways.