Effect of ukrain on cell survival and apoptosis in the androgen-independent prostate cancer cell line PC-3.

Prostate cancer is the most common malignancy and the second leading cause of cancer death in the male population in developing countries. Ukrain is a reaction product of different alkaloids from Chelidoniummajus L. (celandine) conjugated with thiophosphoric acid, which has cytotoxic effects on various malignant cells. In the present study, cell viability was assessed using the dimethyl thiazolyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT)method in PC-3 cells after treatment with Ukrain. The IC(50) value was observed in 10 μg concentration of Ukrain. Bax, Bad, and FasL mRNA expression was analyzed by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, and protein expressions of p-Akt, Bcl-2, and caspase 10 were determined by western-blot analysis. Nuclei were stained with 4’,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole, dihydrochloride (DAPI). Ukrain significantly increased the pro-apoptotic mRNA expression of Bad, Bax, and FasL; decreased the cell survival protein p-Akt and the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2; and increased the protein levels of cleaved poly(ADP)-ribose polymerase (PARP) and caspase-10.The results of this study suggest that Ukrain decreases the cell survival of androgen-independent prostate cancer cells and induces their apoptosis, thus supporting its use as a therapeutic drug for the treatment of prostate cancer