ZHUO Qingyuan,CHEN Meixian,WANG Lingli.Betulinic Acid Induces Autophagy and Apoptosis of Human Colorectal Cancer SW620 Cells by Regulating PI3K/Akt/mTOR Signaling Pathway[J].Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae,2022,28(14):99-106.
ZHUO Qingyuan,CHEN Meixian,WANG Lingli.Betulinic Acid Induces Autophagy and Apoptosis of Human Colorectal Cancer SW620 Cells by Regulating PI3K/Akt/mTOR Signaling Pathway[J].Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae,2022,28(14):99-106. DOI: 10.13422/j.cnki.syfjx.20220921.
Betulinic Acid Induces Autophagy and Apoptosis of Human Colorectal Cancer SW620 Cells by Regulating PI3K/Akt/mTOR Signaling Pathway
To investigate the effect of betulinic acid (BA) on apoptosis and autophagy of human colorectal cancer SW620 cells and the regulatory role of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway.
Method
2
Cell viability was detected by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) colorimetry to determine the optimal administration time and dosage for subsequent experiments. Four groups were designed, including blank group and low-, medium-, and high-dose BA groups. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was conducted for the observation of SW620 cell morphology, and annexin-V/propidium iodide double staining for the determination of apoptosis rate in SW620 cells. Hoechst33258 staining and MDC staining were used for the observation of apoptosis and autophagy, respectively. Western blotting was employed to determine the protein levels of B-cell lymphoma/leukemia-2(Bcl-2)-associated X protein (Bax), aspartate proteolytic enzyme-9 (Caspase-9), activated aspartate proteolytic enzyme-3 (cleaved Caspase-3), microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3), the mammalian homolog of yeast Atg6 (Beclin-1), p62, phosphorylated PI3K (p-PI3K), phosphorylated Akt (p-Akt), and phosphorylated mTOR (p-mTOR) in SW620 cells.
Result
2
BA inhibited the activity of SW620, HT29, and HCT116 cells in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. The cells treated with BA for 48 h had lower viability than those treated for 24 h (
P
<
0.05,
P
<
0.01). The half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC
50
) value of BA at the time point of 48 h was also lower than that at the time point of 24 h (
P
<
0.01), and that for SW620 cells was the minimum. BA induced the apoptosis in a concentration-dependent manner and increased the autophagosomes. Compared with the blank group, BA increased the apoptosis rate (
P
<
0.01), up-regulated the protein levels of Bax, Caspase-9, cleaved Caspase-3, and LC3 Ⅱ (
P
<
0.05,
P
<
0.01), and down-regulated the protein levels of p62, p-Akt, p-PI3K, and p-mTOR (
P
<
0.01). Additionally, medium- and high-dose BA up-regulated the protein level of beclin-1 (
P
<
0.01).
Conclusion
2
BA may inhibit the activity of SW620 cells by hindering the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway to induce cell apoptosis and autophagy.
betulinic acid (BA)phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase/ protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin (PI3K/Akt/mTOR) signaling pathwaycolorectal cancer cellSW620apoptosisautophagy
EKUADZI E, BINEY R P, BENNEH C K, et al. Antiinflammatory properties of betulinic acid and xylopic acid in the carrageenan-induced pleurisy model of lung inflammation in mice[J]. Phytother Res, 2018, 32(3): 480-487.
WANG S, WANG K, ZHANG C, et al. Overaccumulation of p53-mediated autophagy protects against betulinic acid-induced apoptotic cell death in colorectal cancer cells[J]. Cell Death Dis, 2017, 8(10): e3087.
ZUCO V, SUPINO R, RIGHETTI S C, et al. Selective cytotoxicity of betulinic acid on tumor cell lines, but not on normal cells[J]. Cancer Lett, 2002, 175(1): 17-25.
POTZE L, DI FRANCO S, KESSLER J H, et al. Betulinic acid kills colon cancer stem cells[J]. Curr Stem Cell Res Ther, 2016, 11(5): 427-433.
RZESKI W, STEPULAK A, SZYMAŃSKI M, et al. Betulinic acid decreases expression of Bcl-2 and Cyclin D1, inhibits proliferation, migration and induces apoptosis in cancer cells[J]. Naunyn Schmiedeberg's Arch Pharmacol, 2006, 374(1): 11-20.
ZENG A, HUA H, LIU L, et al. Betulinic acid induces apoptosis and inhibits metastasis of human colorectal cancer cells in vitro and in vivo[J]. Bioorg Med Chem, 2019, 27(12): 2546-2552.
CHINTHARLAPALLI S, PAPINENI S, LEI P, et al. Betulinic acid inhibits colon cancer cell and tumor growth and induces proteasome-dependent and -independent downregulation of specificity proteins (Sp) transcription factors[J]. BMC Cancer, 2011, 11: 371-382.
TANIDA I, UENO T, KOMINAMI E. LC3 and autophagy[J]. Methods Mol Biol, 2008, 445: 77-88.
SONG X, LEE D, DILLY A, et al. Crosstalk between apoptosis and autophagy is regulated by the arginylated BiP/Beclin-1/p62 complex[J]. Mol Cancer Res, 2018, 16(7): 1077-1091.
LI F, ZHAN Z, QIAN J, et al. Naringin attenuates rat myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury via PI3K/Akt pathway-mediated inhibition of apoptosis, oxidative stress and autophagy[J]. Exp Ther Med, 2021, 22(2): 811-818.
XU Z, HAN X, OU D, et al. Targeting PI3K/Akt/mTOR-mediated autophagy for tumor therapy[J]. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol, 2020, 104(2): 575-587.
Inhibitory Effect of Sesquiterpenoid M36 from Myrrhaon Growth of Human Hepatoma Cells
Astragaloside Ⅳ Induces Autophagy and Apoptosis in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Cells via PI3K/Akt/mTOR Pathway
Yangyin Huayu Jiedu Preseription Regulates Autophagy and Apoptosis of Colon Cancer Cells in Hypoxic Environment Through PI3K/Akt Signaling Pathway
Mechanism of Polyphyllin Ⅰ Extract in Activating Hippo Signal to Induce Apoptosis and Autophagy of Colorectal Cancer Cells
Mechanism of Salvianolate in Inducing Autophagy in Podocytes of Rats with Membranous Nephropathy via AMPK/SIRT1/PGC-1α Signaling Pathway
Related Author
LIU Dongxiao
LIU Yaxin
HUANG Huiming
OUYANG Lishan
WANG Chaochao
XIE Jinxin
WANG Longyan
WEI Xuejiao
Related Institution
Modern Research Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM),Beijing Institute of TCM, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine
Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for the Prevention and Treatment of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology Diseases with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM),Hunan University of Chinese Medicine
Hunan Provincial Engineering and Technological Research Center for Prevention and Treatment of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology Diseases with Chinese Medicine and Protecting Visual Function, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine
College of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine
College of Medicine, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine