Abstract: Objective To investigate the inducing effect of acetoacetate extractive of Celastrus orbiculatus Thunb. on the apoptosis human hepatocellular liver carcinoma cell line (HepG2). Methods HepG2 cells induced by the acetoacetate extractive of C.articulatus Thunb. were observed under fluorescence microscope after Hoechst33342/PI ambi-fluorescent staining; the apoptotic HepG2 cells’ degree of DNA were analyzed by agarose gel electrophoresis.
Results The acetoacetate extractive of C.articulatus Thunb. could obviously inhibit the cells growth and induced apoptosis of HepG2 cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner. While the control group had not been inhibited due to the gradual proliferation. There was obvious DNA ladder after a 24-hourstreatment of 30 μg/ml acetoacetate extractive of C.articulatus Thunb. effect cell. As the dose of the acetoacetate extractive of C.articulatus Thunb. increased, DNA ladder was more obvious. Conclusions Experiments showed that the acetoacetate extractive of C.articulatus Thunb. can induce the apoptosis of HepG2 cells in an obvious dose-and time-dependent manner.