Transcriptional down regulation of hTERT and senescence induction in HepG2 cells by chelidonine.

AIM To investigate the potential effects of chelidonine, the main alkaloid of Chelidonium majus, on telomerase activity and its regulation in HepG2 cells. METHODS Cytotoxicity of chelidonine for HepG2 cells was determined by neutral red assay. A modified polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based telomerase repeat amplification protocol was used to estimate relative telomerase activity in chelidonine-treated cells in comparison with the untreated control cells. Relative expression level of the catalytic subunit of telomerase (hTERT) gene and P-glycoprotein (pgp) were estimated using semi-quantitative real-time reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR). Cell senescence in treated cells was demonstrated using a beta-galactosidase test. RESULTS Cytotoxicity of chelidonine in HepG2 cells was not dose-dependent and tended to reach plateau immediately after the living cells were reduced in number to slightly higher than 50%. However, 12 micromol/L concentration of chelidonine was considered as LD(50), where the maximal attainable effects were realized. Real-time RT-PCR data showed that the expression of pgp increased three-fold in chelidonine treated HepG2 cells in comparison with the untreated controls. Morphologically, treated HepG2 cells showed apoptotic features after 24 h and a small fraction of cells appeared with single blister cell death. The relative expression level of Bcl-2 dropped to less than 50% of control cells at a sub-apoptotic concentration of chelidonine and subsequently increased to higher than 120% at LD(50). Telomerase activity was reduced considerably after administration of very low doses of chelidonine, whereas higher concentrations of chelidonine did not remarkably enhance the effect. Real-time RT-PCR experiments indicated a drastic decrease in expression level of hTERT subunit of telomerase under treatment with chelidonine. Repeated treatment of cells with very low doses of chelidonine caused a decline in growth rate by 4 wk and many of the cells appeared to be aged with large volume and dark staining in the beta-galactosidase assay. CONCLUSION Chelidonine reduces telomerase activity through down-regulation of hTERT expression. Senescence induction might not be directly caused by reducing telomerase activity as it occurs after a few population doublings.