Berberine potentizes apoptosis induced by X-rays irradiation probably through modulation of gap junctions

作     者：LIU Bing WANG Qin YUAN Dong-dong HONG Xiao-ting TAO Liang 

作者机构：Department of Pharmacology Zhongshan School of Medicine SunYat-sen University Guangzhou Guangdong 510080 China 

出 版 物：《Chinese Medical Journal》 (中华医学杂志（英文版）)

年 卷 期：2011年第124卷第8期

页      面：1221-1228页

核心收录：

学科分类：0710[理学-生物学] 083002[工学-环境工程] 0830[工学-环境科学与工程（可授工学、理学、农学学位）] 07[理学] 08[工学] 071009[理学-细胞生物学] 09[农学] 0903[农学-农业资源与环境] 0901[农学-作物学] 090102[农学-作物遗传育种] 0713[理学-生态学] 

基　　金：This work was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 30973434 and No. 30772577)  the Grant for Development of Science and Technology from Department of Science and Technology of Guangzhou  China (No. 2008Z1-E241)  and the Grant for Development of Important New Drugs from Ministry of Health of China (No. 2009ZX09303-007) 

主　　题：berberine gap junctions X-rays irradiation apoptosis 

摘      要：Background Clinical combination of some traditional Chinese medical herbs, including berberine, with irradiation is demonstrated to improve efficacy of tumor radiotherapy, yet the mechanisms for such effect remain largely unknown. The present study investigated the effect of berberine on apoptosis induced by X-rays irradiation and the relation between this effect and gap junction intercellular communication （GJIC）.Methods The role of gap junctions in the modulation of X-rays irradiation-induced apoptosis was explored by manipulation of connexin （Cx） expression, and gap junction function, using oleamide, a GJIC inhibitor, and *** In transfected HeLa cells, Cx32 expression increased apoptosis induced by X-rays irradiation, while inhibition of gap junction by oleamide reduced the irradiation responses, indicating the dependence of X-rays irradiation-induced apoptosis on GJIC. Berberine, at the concentrations without cytotoxicity, enhanced apoptosis induced by irradiation only in the presence of functional gap *** These results suggest that berberine potentizes cell apoptosis induced by X-rays irradiation, probably through enhancement of gap junction activity.