Sojucktang induces apoptosis via loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and caspase-3 activation in KLE human endometrial cancer cells

Sojucktang (SJT) has long been used for the treatment of endometrial diseases in Korea. However, the mechanisms responsible for the SJT-induced apoptosis in endometrial cancer cells remain unclear. In the present study, SJT was demonstrated to show cytotoxic effect and induce apoptotic cell death via mitochondrial regulation in KLE endometrial cancer cells. Linderae Radix, Glycyrrhizae Radix, Zedoariae Rhizoma, Trogopterorum Faeces and Agelicae Gigantis Radix were found to be the potent constituent herbs of SJT to significantly decrease the viability of KLE cells by a tetra zolium salt (XTT) assay. Apoptotic bodies were observed in SJT-treated KLE cells by 4'-6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) and TdT-mediated-dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assay. SJT also increased sub-G1 DNA contents of the cell cycle undergoing apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, it was observed that SJT activated caspase-3 and cleaved poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), and decreased mitochondrial membrane potential in a dose-dependent manner. Taken together, this study shows that SJT exerts anti-tumor activity against KLE endometrial cancer cells via mitochondrial dependent apoptosis induction.