Triptolide reduces proliferation and enhances apoptosis of human non-small cell lung cancer cells through PTEN by targeting miR-21

• Published in: Molecular medicine reports Vol. 13; no. 3; pp. 2763 - 2768
• Main Authors: LI, XIAOFANG, ZANG, AIMIN, JIA, YOUCHAO, ZHANG, JINCHAO, FAN, WUFANG, FENG, JIA, DUAN, MINDAN, ZHANG, LEI, HUO, RAN, JIAO, JIN, ZHU, XIAOWEI
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Greece D.A. Spandidos 01.03.2016; Spandidos Publications; Spandidos Publications UK Ltd
• Subjects: Antineoplastic Agents - pharmacology; Apoptosis; Apoptosis - drug effects; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung - drug therapy; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung - metabolism; Caspase; Caspase-3; Cell growth; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell proliferation; Cell Proliferation - drug effects; Cell Survival - drug effects; Chemotherapy; Development and progression; Diterpenes - pharmacology; Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; Epoxy compounds; Epoxy Compounds - pharmacology; Gene expression; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Genetic aspects; Humans; Lung cancer; Lung cancer, Non-small cell; Lung Neoplasms - drug therapy; Lung Neoplasms - metabolism; Medical prognosis; Medical research; MicroRNA; MicroRNAs - physiology; miR-21; non-small cell lung cancer; Non-small cell lung carcinoma; Phenanthrenes - pharmacology; phosphatase and tensin homolog; Properties; Protein expression; Proteins; PTEN Phosphohydrolase - genetics; PTEN Phosphohydrolase - metabolism; PTEN protein; RNA Interference; Signal transduction; Studies; Tensin; Toxicity; Traditional Chinese medicine; Triptolide; Tumors; United States > US; China
• ISSN: 1791-2997; 1791-3004
• DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2016.4844

Triptolide is used in traditional Chinese medicine. It has the advantages of a unique mechanism of action, a wide antitumor spectrum, multiple targets, multi-channel effects and low toxicity. The current study was conducted to evaluate whether the potential anticancer effects of triptolide reduces proliferation and enhances apoptosis of human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells, and to assess the underlying anticancer mechanisms. In PC-9 cells, treatment with triptolide reduced cell proliferation and increased cell apoptosis and caspase-3 and 9 activity. Triptolide treatment reduced miR-21 expression and enhanced phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) protein expression levels in the PC-9 cells. Furthermore, the upregulation of miR-21 expression levels suppressed the effect of triptolide on cell viability and PTEN protein expression levels in PC-9 cells. To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first to demonstrate that triptolide reduced the proliferation and enhanced the apoptosis of human NSCLC cells through PTEN by targeting miR-21.