Signaling pathway for aloe-emodin-induced apoptosis in human H460 lung nonsmall carcinoma cell.

Aloe-emodin (1,8-dihydroxy-3-(hydroxymethyl)-anthraquinone) is an active component from the root and rhizome of Rheum palmatum that has been reported to exhibit antitumor effects through an unknown mechanism. Our study investigated the mechanisms of aloe-emodin-induced cell death in the human lung nonsmall cell carcinoma cell line H460. Aloe-emodin (40 microM)-induced apoptosis of H460 cells involves modulation of cAMP-dependent protein kinase, protein kinase C, Bcl-2, caspase-3 and p38 protein expression. The relationship of various signals involved in cell death, such as cAMP-dependent protein kinase, protein kinase C, Bcl-2, caspase-3 and p38, has been investigated in the regulation of apoptotic cell death of aloe-emodin. We demonstrated that the expression of p38 is an important determinant of apoptotic death induced by aloe-emodin.