Apoptotic and Anti-inflammatory Effects of Hypericum Perforatum Extract in Human Basal Cell Carcinoma TE 354.T Cell Line

Abstract

Objectives: Basal cell carcinoma is the most common malignancy in in the Caucasian race and is a serious health problem with its ever-increasing incidence and high cost. Although the treatment is surgical, some elderly patients do not accept surgical intervention. In this case, non-surgical treatments come into prominence. The Hypericum perforatum (HP) / St. John's Wort plant has been used in the treatment of many diseases for centuries among local people. Here, we aimed to aimed to elucidate the effect and molecular mechanism of the HP plant on BCC cells.
 Methods: Human BCC cell lines TE 354.T were acquired from ATCC®, then were cultured in Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's Medium. BCC cells were seeded at a concentration of 2x106cells in each flask (n=12). After incubation, while six of the flasks were applied with a 0.8% HP extract and 99.2% medium for 48 hours, no application was made to the control group. The effects of HP on mitochondrial mediated intrinsic and extrinsic apoptotic pathway agents, cell cycle G2 / M checkpoint kinases and inflammatory mediators were investigated in BCC cancer cells. The expression and activities of these mediators in both groups were evaluated by ELISA test. 
 Results: It was determined that HP extract treatment increased the expression of apoptotic proteins (AIF, GADD153, GRP78, caspase-3, Bax) and cell cycle G2 / M checkpoint kinase (Wee1), though it reduced antiapoptotic protein (Bcl-2) and inflammatory mediators (iNOS, COX-2, cPLA2, NFkB) in BCC cell lines.
 Conclusion: HP extract can support routine chemotherapy on BCC cells with its apoptotic, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effect, and may be a beacon of hope in reducing resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs in the treatment of BCC.