Phloretin induced apoptosis of human hepatoma cells SMMC-7721 and its correlative biological mechanisms

In order to investigate the proliferative and apoptotic effects of phloretin on human hepatoma cell line SMMC-7721 and to explore the mechanisms of phloretin induced apoptosis, this research is set to observed morphological alterations with phase contrast and confocal microscopy, performed MTT assay, and detected apoptotic rates, cell cycle progression, mitochondrial trans-membrane potential and intracellular calcium homeostasis. The results suggested that typical apoptotic morphological alterations occurred after phloretin treatment. Phloretin exerts a strong inhibitory on the proliferation of SMMC-7721 cell line, and induces its apoptosis in a dosage and duration dependent manner. Cell cycle was arrested at G1 phase. Mitochondrial trans-membrane potential dropped. Calcium homeostasis was disturbed. It is concluded that phloretin can induce apoptosis of SMMC-7721 via arresting cell cycle progression, reducing mitochondrial trans-membrane potential and disturbing intracellular calcium homeostasis.