Apigenin impedes cell cycle progression at G2 phase in prostate cancer cells
Su Su Thae Hnit, Yao Mu, Chanlu Xie, Ling Bi, Matthew Wong, Tao Liu, Paul de Souza, Zhong Li, Qihan Dong
Abstract
Abstract As a natural flavone, apigenin is abundantly present in vegetables, fruits, oregano, tea, chamomile, wheat sprout and is regarded as a major component of the Mediterranean diet. Apigenin is known to inhibit proliferation in different cancer cell lines by inducing G 2 /M arrest, but it is unclear whether this action is predominantly imposed on G 2 or M phases. In this study, we demonstrate that apigenin arrests prostate cancer cells at G 2 phase by flow cytometric analysis of prostate cancer cells co-stained for phospho-Histone H3 and DNA. Concurrently, apigenin also reduces the mRNA and protein levels of the key regulators that govern G 2 -M transition. Further analysis using chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) confirmed the diminished transcriptional activities of the genes coding for these regulators. Unravelling the inhibitory effect of apigenin on G 2 -M transition in cancer cells provides the mechanistic understanding of its action and supports the potential for apigenin as an anti-cancer agent. Graphical Abstract