Antitumor Effects of Sasa veitchii Extract on Human Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma Cells

Aim Sasa veitchii (Carrière) Rehder extract (SE) is a traditional medicine that has been reported to have various effects, including antitumor effects. We previously demonstrated that SE exhibited antitumor effects against murine pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cells. In the present study, we explored the effects of SE against human PDAC cells using BxPC‐3 cells. Methods We examined cell viability after treatment with SE for 48 h. We evaluated the apoptosis‐ and cell‐cycle‐related molecules using immunocytochemistry and immunoblot analyses. Results SE inhibited cell viability (IC 50 , 438 μg/mL). SE induced apoptosis and altered the expression level of apoptosis‐related markers (Bax, Bcl‐2, and cleaved caspase‐3) in a dose‐dependent manner. SE downregulated cyclins (Cyclin D1 and Cyclin E) and cyclin‐dependent kinases (Cdk2 and Cdk4). Conclusion SE exhibited antitumor effects against human PDAC cells by inducing apoptosis and downregulation of cyclin and cyclin‐dependent kinases.