Galla chinensis exhibits anticancer activity in HPV-16 infected cervical cancer cells

Abstract Background Cervical cancer induced by the human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most common cancers in women in developing countries. Novel treatments for cervical cancer are focused on bioactive metabolites obtained from natural sources. Materials and Methods The biological effects of Galla Chinensis on HPV16 + cells were analyzed by cell scratch and plate cloning, and the cycle process was evaluated by flow cytometry; PCR, WB and immunofluorescence techniques were used to explore its mechanism Results It was shown that compared to a blank control group, Galla chinensis is less toxic to cervical cancer cells and exhibits prominent inhibitory effects on the growth, cloning, and migration of SiHa adherent cells. The effects of Galla chinensis also included cell cycle arrest in the S phase, and our obtained results suggest that its mechanism of action may involve the downregulation of the HPV E6 oncoprotein and the reconstruction of the p53 functional protein. Conclusion It is proved that Galla chinensis can effectively eliminate HPV16 + cells and inhibit the development of cervical cancer. It can down regulate oncoprotein E6 and up regulate tumor suppressor protein p53.