Resveratrol induced apoptosis of Hela cells by COX-2 through p38MAPK pathway

Xiao Wang^{1, #}, Hang Sun^{1,2, #}, Guopeng Yang³, Xiaofeng Zheng¹, Simin Rong¹, Yunxiao Sun³, Jiaxuan Xin^{1, *}, Youjie Li^{1, *} 

¹Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, Shandong, 264003, P.R. China - ²Shandong Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jining, Shandong, 272033, P.R. China - ³Department of Pediatrics, Yantai Affiliated Hospital of Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, Shandong, 264100, P.R. China

Objective: Resveratrol shows many-sided functions, including anti-cancer. In this research, the effect of resveratrol on cervical cancer Hela cells was observed, and its mechanism was further explored. 

Methods: Apoptosis of HeLa cells was detected by flow cytometry. The expressions of p-p38, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), Bax and Bcl-2 proteins in HeLa cells were detected by Western blot. qRT-PCR was used to detect COX-2 mRNA expression in HeLa cells after resveratrol treatment.

Results: Results showed that resveratrol could promote apoptosis and change the morphology of Hela cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Western blotting indicated that the protein expression levels of p-p38, COX-2, and Bcl-2 in Hela cells decreased, while the expression of Bax was upregulated. qRT-PCR showed that the expression of COX-2 mRNA in cells was downregulated after treatment with resveratrol and p38MAPK inhibitor SB203580. Results suggested that resveratrol could inhibit the expression of COX-2 through the p38MAPK pathway. 

Conclusions: Resveratrol increased the expression of pro-apoptotic protein Bax and decreased the expression of anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2, which is located in the downstream of COX-2, thus inducing the apoptosis of Hela cells.