Autophagy Modulation in Human Thyroid Cancer Cells following Aloperine Treatment

• Published in: International journal of molecular sciences Vol. 20; no. 21; p. 5315
• Main Authors: Yu, Hui-I, Shen, Hui-Ching, Chen, Shu-Hsin, Lim, Yun-Ping, Chuang, Hsiang-Hsun, Tai, Tsai-Sung, Kung, Fang-Ping, Lu, Chieh-Hsiang, Hou, Chia-Yi, Lee, Ying-Ray
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 25.10.2019; MDPI
• Subjects: Apoptosis; Autophagic Cell Death - drug effects; Autophagy; Bone cancer; Cell cycle; Cell Cycle Checkpoints - drug effects; Cell growth; Cell Line, Tumor; Cytotoxicity; Homeostasis; Humans; Investigations; MAP Kinase Signaling System - drug effects; Multiple myeloma; Neoplasm Proteins - metabolism; Physiology; Piperidines - pharmacology; Prostate; Sarcoma; Thyroid cancer; Thyroid Neoplasms - drug therapy; Thyroid Neoplasms - metabolism; Thyroid Neoplasms - pathology; Tumorigenesis; thyroid cancer; aloperine; autophagy
• ISSN: 1422-0067; 1661-6596; 1422-0067
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms20215315

Aloperine, an alkaloid isolated from Sophora alopecuroides, exhibits multiple pharmacological activities including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiallergic, antinociceptive, antipathogenic, and antitumor effects. Furthermore, it exerts protective effects against renal and neuronal injuries. Several studies have reported antitumor effects of aloperine against various human cancers, including multiple myeloma; colon, breast, and prostate cancers; and osteosarcoma. Cell cycle arrest, apoptosis induction, and tumorigenesis suppression have been demonstrated following aloperine treatment. In a previous study, we demonstrated antitumor effects of aloperine on human thyroid cancer cells through anti-tumorigenesis and caspase-dependent apoptosis induction via the Akt signaling pathway. In the present study, we demonstrated the modulation of the autophagy mechanism following the incubation of multidrug-resistant papillary and anaplastic human thyroid cancer cells with aloperine; we also illustrate the underlying mechanisms, including AMPK, Erk, JNK, p38, and Akt signaling pathways. Further investigation revealed the involvement of the Akt signaling pathway in aloperine-modulated autophagy in human thyroid cancer cells. These results indicate a previously unappreciated function of aloperine in autophagy modulation in human thyroid cancer cells.