Coptidis rhizoma induces apoptosis in human colorectal cancer cells SNU-C4

Coptidis rhizoma has been used as traditional herb medicine in gastrointestinal disorders in the Eastern Asia. We investigated whether the anticancer effects of the C rhizoma induced apoptosis on human colorectal cancer cells SNU-C4. The cytotoxic effect of C rhizoma was assessed by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. To determine apoptotic cell death, 4,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) staining, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and caspase-3 enzyme assay were performed. In this study, C. rhizoma treatment (100 mug/ml) revealed typical morphological apoptotic features: Additionally, C rhizoma treatment (100 mug/ml) increased levels of BAX and CASPASE-3, and decreased levels of BCL-2. Caspase-3 enzyme activity by treatment of C. rhizoma (100 mug/ml) also significantly increased compared to the control (p < 0.05). These data indicate that C rhizoma caused cell death by apoptosis through caspase pathways on human colorectal cancer cells SNU-C4.