Inhibition of diammonium glycyrrhizinate on mitomycin C-induced apoptosis in HepG2 cells via apoptotic pathway

Objective To study the inhibition of diammonium glycyrrhizinate on mitomycin C-induced apoptosis in HepG2 cells via apoptotic pathway.Methods Low dose MMC (50 μg/ml) was used to induce the apoptosis of HepG2 cells.Dose-independent inhibition effect of diammonium glycyrrhizinate on MMC-induced apoptosis was determined.MTT method was used to detect the cell survival rates.Flow cytometry was applied to assess cell apoptosis, mitochondrial membrane permeability and Caspase-3 activity.Western Blot was used to check the expression of apoptosis-related proteins cytochrome C, Bcl-2 and Bax.Results The viability of HepG2 cells decreased significantly after being treated with low dose (50 μg/ml) MMC and apoptosis of HepG2 cells was induced, which might be the outcome of up-regulated expression of pro-apoptotic Bax protein and cytochrome C, down-regulated expression of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2, subsequent Caspase-3 activation and loss of mitochondrial transmembrane potential.But these changes were obviously inhibited by diammonium glycyrrhizinate.Conclusion Diammonium glycyrrhizinate can inhibit MMC-induced HepG2 cell apoptosis via regulation of apoptotic pathway.