Puerarin in inducing apoptosis of bladder cancer cells through inhibiting SIRT1/p53 pathway

Regulatory effect of puerarin on bladder cancer T24-cell apoptosis and its possible mechanism were investigated. The experimental subjects were divided into the experimental group, the control group and the blank control group, and the cell inhibition rates after treatment were detected, respectively. Then, subjects were further divided into the control group, the puerarin group (treated with puerarin), the agonist group [treated with silent information regulator 1 (SIRT1) agonist SRT1720], the inhibitor group (treated with SIRT1 inhibitor EX527) and the combination group (treated with SRT1720, and then with puerarin). Apoptosis in each group was detected via flow cytometry, and the expression of apoptosis-related proteins, and SIRT1 and p53 proteins in each group was detected via western blotting. Moreover, the expression of SIRT1 and p53 messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) was detected via reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). The inhibition rate of bladder cancer T24 cells was significantly increased after treatment with puerarin at different concentrations. Compared with those in the normal control group, the inhibition rates at 24, 48 and 72 h after treatment with puerarin were significantly increased (p<0.05). Compared with those in the control group, the apoptosis rate of T24 cells was remarkably increased after treatment with different doses of puerarin or EX527, and the expression level of apoptosis-related protein Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax) was also significantly increased, but the expression level of B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) was decreased, and both the protein and mRNA expression levels of SIRT1 and p53 also significantly declined. Compared with those in the puerarin group, the apoptosis rate in the combination group was decreased, and the expression level of apoptosis-related protein Bax was also significantly decreased, but the expression level of Bcl-2 was increased, and SIRT1 and p53 protein expression levels were also remarkably increased. Puerarin can inhibit the proliferation of bladder cancer T24 cells and induce apoptosis, and the possible mechanism is related to the inhibition of SIRT1/p53 signaling pathway.