The effect of apigenin on the expression ofTFAM and PPARGC۱A genes in colorectal cancer

Introduction: The third most fatal cancer is attributed to colorectalcancer. This adds to the fact that cancers are the secondleading cause of death globally. Treating cancer despite immenseresearch progress is still facing a lot of hardship, includingtoxicity and drug resistance. Flavonoids have surfaced aspossible anticancer drugs and have attracted attention due tolow cytotoxicity and no mutagenic activity. Apigenin is oneof them. In this article the antitumor effect of apigenin on theexpression of TFAM and PPARGC۱A genes that have beenproved to be involved in mitochondria biogenesis pathway andthat their overexpression will result in apoptosis, will be examined.Methods: Colorectal cancer cells were cultured in differentconcentrations of apigenin (۳۰۰, ۱۵۰, ۱۰۰, ۷۵, ۵۰, ۲۵, ۱۲.۵,۶.۲۵, ۰ μM) and a ۴۸-hour MTT assay was performed to calculatethe IC۵۰ of SW۴۸۰ cell lines. Next, primer design wasdone and RNA extraction and cDNA synthesis was done inIC۵۰ concentration of apigenin that was gained from MTTassay result. Then, the expression of TFAM and PPARGC۱Agenes were carried out by real time PCR to study the overexpressionor downregulation of the aforementioned genes. Thehouse-keeping gene that was used in this protocol to serve as acontrol that won’t be affected through treatment with apigeninwas ACTB.Results: According to MTT assay results, apigenin had cytotoxiceffects on cancer cells and cells that were treated withhigher concentration of apigenin, showed less viability. TheIC۵۰ calculated for the SW۴۸۰ cell line was ۸۴. Also, real-timePCR results showed variation in gene expression in comparisonwith untreated cells.Conclusion: In Conclusion: , we understand that apigenin hasanti-cancer properties and based on its low toxicity, it can beused as a possible drug or in combination with other conventionaldrugs.