Honokiol induces apoptotic cell death by oxidative burst and mitochondrial hyperpolarization of bladder cancer cells. - GreenMedInfo Summary

Bladder cancer is one of the most common types of malignant tumor worldwide. Current treatments, including chemo-/radiotherapy, only have limited efficacy on bladder cancer progression. Honokiol is an active component ofwith multiple biological effects that may provide promising health benefits. In the present study, the anti-cancer properties of honokiol against bladder cancer cells were investigated by flow cytometric analysis. The results revealed that honokiol exhibited significant anti-proliferative effects on bladder cancer cell lines, particularly on BFTC-905 human transitional cell carcinoma cells. Furthermore, honokiol at low doses (≤25 µM) induced cell cycle arrest in G/Gphase, while it induced significant apoptotic cell death at high doses (≥50 µM; P<0.05). Furthermore, a significant accumulation of reactive oxygen species was identified in honokiol-treated cells. In addition, honokiol induced hyperpolarization of the mitochondrial membrane, which may lead to mitochondrial dysfunction. Finally, caspase-3/7 activation was identified in high-dose honokiol-treated bladder cancer cells. These results suggest that honokiol induces apoptosis via the mitochondrial pathway and honokiol-containing traditional herbal remedies may have a potential clinical application in the treatment of bladder cancer.