Hypocrellin B-mediated sonodynamic action induces apoptosis of hepatocellular carcinoma cells

ObjectiveThe present study aims to investigate apoptosis of hepatocellular carcinoma cells induced by hypocrellin B-mediated sonodynamic action.MethodsThe hypocrellin B concentration was kept constant at 2.5 μM and cells from the hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cell line were exposed to ultrasound with an intensity of 0.46 W/cm2 for 8 s. Cell cytotoxicity was quantified using an MTT assay 24 h after sonodynamic therapy (SDT) of hypocrellin B. Apoptosis was investigated using a flow cytometry with Annexin V-FITC and propidium iodine staining. Intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were detected using a flow cytometry with 2,7-dichlorodihydrofluorecein diacetate (DCFH-DA) staining.ResultsThe cytotoxicity of hypocrellin B-mediated sonodynamic action on HepG2 cells was significantly higher than those of other treatments including ultrasound alone, hypocrellin B alone and sham treatment. Flow cytometry showed that hypocrellin B-induced sonodynamic action markedly enhanced the apoptotic rate of HepG2 cells. Increased ROS was observed in HepG2 cells after being treated with hypocrellin B-mediated sonodynamic action.ConclusionsOur data demonstrated that hypocrellin B-mediated sonodynamic action remarkably induced apoptosis of HepG2 cells, suggesting that apoptosis is an important mechanism of cell death induced by hypocrellin B-mediated SDT.

► Sonodynamic action of hypocrellin B could dramatically induce apoptosis of hepatocellular carcinoma cells.
► ROS increase might play an important role in the hypocrellin B-mediated sonodynamic therapy.
► Hypocrellin B-mediated SDT might be a potential therapeutic approach in the management of hepatocellular carcinoma.