Platycodin D는 도라지(Platycodon grandiflorum)의 뿌리인 길경(Platycodi Radix)에 함유된 은 triterpene saponin의 일종으로 다양한 약리효능이 있는 것으로 알려져 있다. 본 연구에서는 다양한 암세포 중 platycodin D의 항암활성 감수성이 가장 높았던 인체 혈구암 U937 세포를 대상으로 platycodin D 처리에 따른 apoptosis 유발기전에 대하여 조사하였다. 본 연구의 결과에 의하면 U937 세포에서 platycodin D 처리에 의한 증식억제는 apoptosis 유발과 밀접한 연관이 있음을 알 수 있었다. 이러한 platycodin D에 의한 apoptosis 유발은 pro-apoptotic Bax의 발현 증가와 연관된 미토콘드리아 막 전위의 소실 및 caspase-3의 활성화와 기질단백질들의 분해에 의한 것임을 알 수 있었으며, IAP family 인자들의 발현 감소가 caspase의 활성 증가에도 영향을 미친 것으로 추정된다. 또한 z-DEVD-fmk 선처리에 의하여 platycodin D에 의하여 유발된 apoptosis가 유의적으로 억제되었기에, platycodin D 처리에 의하여 유발되는 apoptosis는 미토콘드리아 경로에 의하여 조절되며, caspase-3의 활성화가 핵심적인 역할을 한 것으로 생각된다.
Platycodin D is a major constituent of triterpene saponins, which is found in the root of Platycodon grandiflorum, Platycodi Radix, which is widely used in traditional Oriental medicine for the treatment of many chronic inflammatory diseases. Several pharmacological effects of this compound have been reported recently, such as anti-inflammation, immunogenicity, anti-adipogenesis, lowered cholesterol, and anti-cancer activity. However, the mechanism by which this action occurs is poorly understood. In this study, we found that platycodin D greatly increased the potential of the anti-proliferative effect in various cancer cell lines. Our data revealed that platycodin D treatment resulted in a time- and concentration-response growth inhibition of U937 cells by inducing apoptosis, as evidenced by the formation of apoptotic bodies, chromatin condensation, and the accumulation of cells in the sub-G1 phase. Apoptosis induction of U937 cells by platycodin D correlated with an increase in the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and caused the down-regulation of IAP family members. In addition, platycodin D treatment resulted in proteolytic activation of caspase-3, the concomitant degradation of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases, and the collapse of the mitochondria membrane potential (${Delta}{Psi}_m$). However, the cytotoxic effects induced by platycodin D treatment were significantly inhibited by z-DEVD-fmk, a caspase-3 inhibitor, which demonstrated the important role that caspase-3 played in the observed cytotoxic effect. These findings suggest that platycodin D may be a potential chemotherapeutic agent for use in the control of human leukemia U937 cells. These findings also provided important new insights into possible molecular mechanisms of the anti-cancer activity of platycodin D.
