Elevation of p53 level in human lung cancer cell line NCI-HC3 apoptosis treated by Morinda citrifolia extract

Z. Kharis, L.P. Azimahtol Hawariah and A. Normah

Abstract

Effective p53 is a suppressor protein that acts as a key of transcription factor to multi cellular interaction. Its function is to balance between the cell growth and dead cells in the living system and plays an important role in deletion of cell growing and apoptosis induction. Studies have shown that p53 is activated when the signals are received by the cells due to stimulation from the inner or outer stressors. The accumulation of p53 resulted in either cell cycle arrest or apoptosis induction to the cells. An involvement of p53 in apoptosis has been reported in cells death treated by anticancer drug. Result showed that M. citrifolia extract inhibited and induced apoptosis in human lung adenocarcinoma. In mechanism study, apoptosis of NCI-H23 treated with M. citrifolia extract increased the expression of p53 level in the cells. Elevation of p53 induces apoptosis through either extrinsic or intrinsic pathway by dispolarisation and increase sensitivity cells towards induction of apoptosis. The findings suggest that apoptotic event induced by M. citrifolia was through modulation of elevated p53 in the NCI-H23 cells and thus, promoting activation of down stream cascades involved in apoptosis mechanism.

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