Anti-cancer effect and apoptosis induction of cordycepin through DR3 pathway in the human colonic cancer cell HT-29

• Cordycepin significantly inhibited cell viability in a dose and time-dependent manner.
• Cordycepin can be suggested increasing cell cycle arrest affects the inhibition of cell growth on HT-29.
• Cordycepin induces anti-cancer effect and apoptosis through the DR3 pathway in human colonic cancer cell HT-29.

Cordycepin is known to have many pharmacological effects such as anti-tumorigenic, anti-inflammatory and anti-angiogenic activity. However, cordycepin induced apoptosis through the DR3 pathway in human colon cancer cells has not been studied. The effect of cordycepin on anti-proliferation was investigated in this study. Cordycepin significantly inhibited cell viability in a dose and time-dependent manner. Cordycepin increased sub G1 and G2/M phase arrest on HT-29 cells at the concentration of 100 μM, whereas cordycepin at 200 μM and 400 μM increased G1 phase arrest. Cordycepin induced apoptosis in HT-29 cells in a dose-dependent manner as detected by Hoechst and Annexin V-FITC staining. Intracellular ROS levels were higher in cordycepin treated cells as compared to control cells. The protein related to apoptosis was determined by antibody array. p53 and Bax expression increased treatment with cordycepin for 18 h. DR3, caspase-8, caspase-1, cleaved caspase-3 and cleaved PARP expression increased. These finding suggest that the cordycepin induces apoptosis through the DR3 pathway in human colon cancer HT-29. These findings suggest that cordycepin should be evaluated further as a therapeutic agent in human colon cancer.