Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
2049002 | FEBS Letters | 2008 | 5 Pages |
Abstract
We report here that alpha-lipoic acid (α-LA), a naturally-occurring antioxidant, scavenges reactive oxygen species (ROS) followed by an increase in apoptosis of human hepatoma cells. Apoptosis induced by α-LA was dependent upon the activation of the caspase cascade and the mitochondrial death pathway. α-LA induced increases in caspase-9 and caspase-3 but had no significant effect on caspase-8 activity. Apoptosis induced by α-LA was found to be mediated through the tensin homologue deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN)/Akt pathway. Prior to cell apoptosis, PTEN was activated and its downstream target Akt was inhibited. Our findings indicate that increasing ROS scavenging could be a therapeutic strategy to treat cancer.
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Authors
Dong-yun Shi, Hong-lei Liu, Jeremy S. Stern, Pei-zhong Yu, Shan-lin Liu,