Abstract:Objective: To observe the regulatory effect of Hedysari polysaccharide on SCL-1 cell apoptosis and explore its mechanism. Methods: SCL-1 cells were treated with radix Hedysari polysaccharide (25, 50, 100 μg/mL); 0 μg/ml SCL-1 cells treated with hedysari polysaccharide were set as the control group. The cell proliferation inhibition rate and apoptosis rate were detected by cell counting method (CCK8) and annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate propidium iodide (annexin V-FITC/PI). 50 μg/mL was the optimum concentration of Hedysari polysaccharide. The mitochondrial membrane potential was detected by JC-1 staining. Protein expression of cleaved poly DNA ribose polymerase (cleaved PARP), cleaved cysteine aspartate protease (caspase)-3, cleaved caspase-9 and cytochrome C in cytoplasm, mitochondria, second mitochondrial derived caspases activator (SMAC), B-cell lymphoma/leukemia 2 related X protein (Bax), pro-apoptotic gene (bak) were detected by Western blotting (WB). Results: Compared with the control group, the proliferation inhibition rate and apoptosis rate of SCL-1 cells significantly increased in Hedysari polysaccharide (25, 50, 100 μg/mL) group (P<0.05). 50 μg/mL hedysarum polysaccharide was affirmed the optimum concentration. Compared with the control group, the mitochondrial membrane potential decreased significantly (P<0.05), the expression of mitochondrial apoptosis related proteins cleaved PARP, cleaved caspase-3 and cleaved caspase-9 substantially increased (P<0.05), the expression of cytochrome c and Smac released by mitochondria obviously increased (P<0.05), and the expression of mitochondrial Bax and Bak protein significantly increased in hedysari polysaccharide group (P<0.05). Conclusion: Hedysari polysaccharide could promote the apoptosis of skin squamous cell carcinoma cell line SCL-1 by activating mitochondrial pathway.