桔皮素对人非小细胞肺癌细胞生长及侵袭的影响

目的:探讨桔皮素(TGN)对非小细胞肺癌(NSCLC)细胞生长和侵袭的影响及其分子机制。方法:体外培养非小细胞肺癌A549细胞,分别用不同浓度的TGN处理,MTT比色法检测细胞活性,Annexin V-FITC/PI染色及流式细胞术检测细胞凋亡率,Transwell检测细胞侵袭,RT-PCR分析MMP-2和MMP-9的mRNA表达水平,Western blotting检测Ki67、Cyt C、caspase-3、cleaved caspase-3、MMP-2、MMP-9、Akt、p-Akt以及p-PI3K表达水平。结果:桔皮素剂量依赖性地抑制A549细胞增殖(P0.05),同时伴随有增殖标记分子Ki67表达水平的下调。分析发现,桔皮素诱导细胞中Cyt C、caspase-3和cleaved caspase-3的表达上调(P0.01),加速A549细胞的凋亡。此外,桔皮素作用后,A549细胞中侵袭相关蛋白MMP-2和MMP-9的表达量下降,且侵袭数目随桔皮素浓度增加而减少。进一步研究表明,桔皮素作用后A549细胞中p-Akt和p-PI3K表达水平降低(P0.05),阻断PI3K/Akt信号通路后,不同浓度TGN对细胞活性影响没有变化。结论:桔皮素能抑制A549细胞生长及侵袭,促进细胞凋亡,可能通过抑制PI3K/Akt信号通路的激活起作用。因此,本研究将为非小细胞肺癌的防治提供新的研究方向。

Effects of tangeretin on growth and invasion of human non-small-cell lung cancer cells

AIM: To study the influences of tangeretin (TGN) on the growth and invasion of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells, and to explore the molecular mechanisms. METHODS: The A549 cells were treated with different concentrations of TGN in vitro. The relative cell activity was determined by MTT assay. The apoptotic rate was analyzed by flow cytometry with Annexin V-FITC/PI staining. The number of the invasive cells was measured by Transwell assay. The mRNA expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 was detected by RT-PCR, and the protein levels of Ki67, Cyt C, caspase-3, cleaved caspase-3, MMP-2, MMP-9, Akt, p-Akt and p-PI3K were determined by Western blotting analysis. RESULTS: TGN inhibited the proliferation of A549 cells in a dose-dependent manner (P<0.05) along with the low expression level of proliferation biomarker Ki67. TGN up-regulated the protein levels of Cyt C, caspase-3 and cleaved caspase-3 (P<0.01) and promoted the apoptosis of A549 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, TGN down-regulated the invasion-related molecules MMP-2 and MMP-9 at the mRNA and protein levels, and the number of invasive cells reduced with the increase in the concentration of TGN. The protein levels of p-Akt and p-PI3K in the A549 cells was reduced (P<0.05), and no difference of the cell viability in the cells treated with different concentrations of TGN was observed after blocking PI3K/Akt signaling pathway using LY294002. CONCLUSION: TGN inhibits the growth and invasion of A549 cells and promotes the cell apoptosis by potentially inhibiting PI3K/Akt signaling pathway activation. Therefore, this study will provide a new target for the prevention and control of NSCLC.