Antitumoral Effects of Digoxin in The Liver Cancer Cell Line is mediated through Induction of Apoptosis and Down Regulation of HIF-Α Expression

Abstract

Based on epidemiological evidences, cardiac glycosides such as digoxin have been recently proposed as an anticancer drug. However, the outcomes are controversial and even application of digoxin as an anticancer agent is doubtful. Hence, in the present study, the anticancer properties of digoxin and its potential mechanisms have been investigated in a liver cancer cell line i.e. HepG2. hep G2 cell line was cultivated in RPMI-1640 with %15 FBS and 2μM digoxin for 6, 12, 24 and 48 hours. Apoptosis was detected in the cells treated with digoxin using in situ cell detection kit. Furthermore, the cells were stained by Giemsa to study the occurrence of senescence following administration of digoxin. Expression of HIF- α was determined by RT-PCR after the cells exposed to digoxin as well. Our findings revealed that digoxin induces apoptosis in a time dependent manner. A significant number of apoptotic cells were observed after 48hours exposure to digoxin (P