Extensive research results support the application of herbal medicine or natural food as an augment during therapy for various cancers. However, the effect of dioscin on tumor cells autophagy has not been clearly clarified. In this study, the unique effects of dioscin on autophagy of hepatoma cells were investigated. Results found that dioscin induced caspase-3- and -9-dependent cell apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, inhibition of ERK1/2 phosphorylation significantly abolished the dioscin-induced apoptosis. In addition, dioscin triggered cell autophagy in early stages. With autophagy inhibitors to hinder the autophagy process, dioscin-induced cell apoptosis was significantly enhanced. An inhibition of caspase activation did not affect the dioscin-induced LC3-II protein expression. Based on the results, we believed that while apoptosis was blocked, dioscin-induced autophagy process also diminished in Huh7 cells. In conclusion, this study indicates that dioscin causes autophagy in Huh7 cells and suggests that dioscin has a cytoprotective effect.
