β-Lapachone Inhibits Lung Metastasis of Colorectal Cancer by Inducing Apoptosis of CT26 Cells

• Published in: Integrative cancer therapies Vol. 16; no. 4; pp. 585 - 596
• Main Authors: Kee, Ji-Ye, Han, Yo-Han, Park, Jinbong, Kim, Dae-Seung, Mun, Jeong-Geon, Ahn, Kwang Seok, Kim, Hyun-Jung, Um, Jae-Young, Hong, Seung-Heon
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.12.2017; SAGE Publishing
• Subjects: Animals; Apoptosis - drug effects; Biomarkers, Tumor - metabolism; Caspases - metabolism; Cell Cycle Checkpoints - drug effects; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Proliferation - drug effects; Colorectal Neoplasms - drug therapy; Colorectal Neoplasms - metabolism; Colorectal Neoplasms - pathology; Down-Regulation - drug effects; Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition - drug effects; Female; Lung Neoplasms - drug therapy; Lung Neoplasms - metabolism; Lung Neoplasms - pathology; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Naphthoquinones - pharmacology; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 - metabolism; CT26 cells; apoptosis; lung metastasis; β-lapachone; colorectal cancer
• ISSN: 1534-7354; 1552-695X
• DOI: 10.1177/1534735416681638

Background: β-Lapachone is a quinone-containing compound found in red lapacho (Tabebuia impetiginosa, syn. T avellanedae) trees. Lapacho has been used in traditional medicine by several South and Central American indigenous people to treat various types of cancer. The purpose of this study was to investigate the antimetastatic properties of β-lapachone and the underlying mechanisms using colon cancer cells. Methods: This research used metastatic murine colon cancer cell lines, colon 26 (CT26) and colon 38 (MC38). A WST assay, annexin V assay, cell cycle analysis, wound healing assay, invasion assay, western blot analysis, and real-time reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction were performed to examine the effects of β-lapachone on metastatic phenotypes and molecular mechanisms. The effect of β-lapachone on lung metastasis was assessed in a mouse experimental metastasis model. Results: We found that the inhibition of proliferation of the colon cancer cell lines by β-lapachone was due to the induction of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. β-Lapachone induced the apoptosis of CT26 cells through caspase-3, -8, and -9 activation; poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage; and downregulation of the Bcl-2 family in a dose- and time-dependent manner. In addition, a low concentration of β-lapachone decreased the cell migration and invasion by decreasing the expression of matrix metalloproteinases-2 and -9, and increased the expression of tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases-1 and -2. Moreover, β-lapachone treatment regulated the expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition markers such as E- and N-cadherin, vimentin, β-catenin, and Snail in CT26 cells. In the mouse experimental metastasis model, β-lapachone significantly inhibited the lung metastasis of CT26 cells. Conclusions: Our results demonstrated the inhibitory effect of β-lapachone on colorectal lung metastasis. This compound may be useful for developing therapeutic agents to treat metastatic cancer.