Examining the anticancer properties of HL-7 peptide through changes in Fas, caspase 8 and caspase 3 gene expression

Cervical cancer is an important cause of female mortality worldwide. The results obtained so far indicate the involvement of bioactive peptides in cancer treatment. In this regard, the aim of the present study is to investigate the anticancer properties of HL-7 peptide through changes in Fas, caspase 8 and caspase 3 geneexpression. In this study, the viability of cervical cancer cells treated with HL-7 peptide at two concentrations of 45 and 60 μM at two times of 12 and 24 hours was investigated using MTT assay. Also, the expression of Fas, caspase 8 and caspase 3 genes was measured at mRNA and protein levels, respectively, using Real-Time PCR and Western Blot methods. Finally, the activity level of caspase 3 and caspase 8 was checked through ELISA test. The results showed that the viability of cancer cells treated with HL-7 peptide decreased in a dose- and time-dependent manner (p<0.05). By increasing the concentration of HL-7 peptide from 45 to 60 μM, significantly, the expression of Fas, caspase 8 and 3 genes increased in mRNA and protein levels (p<0.05). The results of the ELISA test showed that the activity of caspase 8 and caspase 3 significantly increased in Hela cancer cells treated with HL-7 peptide compared to untreated cancer cells (p<0.05). It seems that HL-7 peptide is able to eliminate cervical cancer cells by regulating the expression of genes involved in the extrinsic apoptosis signaling pathway. At the same time, more studies on molecular targets are suggested to confirm the anticancer properties of HL-7 peptide.