BACKGROUND: Cordyceps militaris has been used as a traditional medicine in Asian countries for a long time. Different types of Cordyceps extract were reported to have various pharmacological activities including an anti- @entity5 effect. We investigated the inhibitory effect of Cordyceps militaris @entity1068 extract on a @entity1 @entity14 -derived cell line, RKO. METHODS: RKO cells were treated with various concentrations of @entity2642 -enriched @entity1068 extract of Cordyceps militaris for 48  h and @entity137 was measured using a CCK-8 assay. Then, xenograft Balb/c @entity19 were injected with RKO cells and subsequently orally administered with @entity1068 extract of Cordyceps militaris every day for 3  weeks to examine the inhibitory effect on @entity5 growth. Lastly, the effect of Cordyceps militaris on cell cycle as well as apoptosis was measured using flow cytometry. Also, the expression of @entity876 , @entity8187 , cleaved caspase-3, cleaved @entity12982 , Bim, @entity589 , Bak, and Bad were detected using western blot assay. RESULTS: RKO cells were highly susceptible to the @entity1068 extract of Cordyceps militaris (CME) and the growth of RKO cells-derived @entity5 was significantly delayed by the treatment of Cordyceps militaris. Cordyceps militaris induced cell cycle arrest in G2/M phase (untreated; 20.5  %, CME 100   g/ml; 61.67  %, CME 300   g/ml; 66.33  %) and increased early apoptosis (untreated; 1.01  %, CME 100   g/ml; 8.48  %, CME 300   g/ml; 18.07  %). The expression of @entity876 , cleaved @entity8187 , cleaved caspase-3, cleaved @entity12982 , Bim, Bak, and Bad were upregulated by the treatment of Cordyceps militaris. CONCLUSION: @entity1068 extract of Cordyceps militaris was highly cytotoxic to @entity1 @entity14 RKO cells and inhibited the growth of @entity5 in xenograft model. The anti- @entity5 effect of Cordyceps militaris was associated with an induction of cell cycle arrest and mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis.

Anti- @entity5 effect of Cordyceps militaris in @entity1 XXXX RKO cells via cell cycle arrest and mitochondrial apoptosis.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['human'] @entity2642 :: ('MESH:D009705', 'Chemical') :: ['nucleosides'] @entity137 :: ('MESH:D064420', 'Disease') :: ['cytotoxicity'] @entity589 :: ('581', 'Gene') :: ['Bax'] @entity5 :: ('MESH:D009369', 'Disease') :: ['tumor', 'cancer'] @entity19 :: ('10090', 'Species') :: ['nude mice'] @entity8187 :: ('842', 'Gene') :: ['caspase 9'] @entity12982 :: ('142', 'Gene') :: ['PARP'] @entity876 :: ('7157', 'Gene') :: ['p53'] @entity14 :: ('MESH:D015179', 'Disease') :: ['colorectal carcinoma', 'colorectal cancer'] @entity1068 :: ('MESH:D000431', 'Chemical') :: ['Ethanol', 'ethanol']
@entity14 :: (MESH:D015179,Disease) :: ['colorectal carcinoma']
