Inhibition of Ovalitenin A on Proliferation of He La Cells via Apoptosis, G2/M Cell Cycle Arrest, and Down- regulation of COX-2

Objective Ovalitenin A(1-(4-methoxybenzofuran-5-yl)-3-phenyl-2-propen-1-one) is a chalcone isolated from Millettia pulchra. The aim of the study was to investigate the antitumor effect of ovalitenin A on apoptosis in vitro and in vivo and to identify the mechanism involved. Methods The effect of ovalitenin A in human cervical cancer HeL a cells was detected by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide(MTT) assay, morphological observation, flow cytometric measurement, Western blotting, and xenograft model. Results Ovalitenin A inhibited the proliferation of He La cells in a dose-dependent manner in vitro and in vivo and induced the apoptosis evidenced by characteristic apoptotic morphological changes, phosphatidylserine externalization, and activation of caspase-3. In addition, ovalitenin A induced G2/M cell cycle arrest and up-regulation of the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio. Furthermore, ovalitenin A decreased protein level of COX-2 and induced the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential. Conclusion These data suggest that ovalitenin A has the potential of anticancer properties for the treatment of cervical cancer.