Pristimerin induces apoptosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma cells via G1 phase arrest and MAPK/Erk1/2 and Akt signaling inhibition

作者：Haiyan Wu, Long Li, Zhengdong Ai, Jingyi Yin, Li Chen · 发表于：Oncology Letters · 年份：2019 · DOI：10.3892/ol.2019.9903 · 被引用次数：26 · 研究领域：Natural Compounds in Disease Treatment、Cell death mechanisms and regulation、Cancer Mechanisms and Therapy

Pristimerin is an active compound isolated from the traditional Chinese herbs Celastraceae and Hippocrateaceae. It has been reported to exert antitumor effects under experimental and clinical conditions; however, the antitumor effects and underlying mechanisms of pristimerin in oral cancer cells have not yet been identified. In the present study, the anticancer potential of pristimerin was investigated in two oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cell lines, CAL‑27 and SCC‑25. Results demonstrated that pristimerin was toxic against the two cell lines, and exhibited inhibitory effects against proliferation. Furthermore, pristimerin exhibited a more potent anti‑proliferative activity in CAL‑27 and SCC‑25 cells than the common chemotherapy drugs cisplatin and 5‑fluorouracil. In addition, cell cycle distribution analysis revealed that G0/G1 phase arrest was induced following pristimerin treatment in CAL‑27 and SCC‑25 cells, which was strongly associated with upregulation of p21 and p27, coupled with downregulation of cyclin D1 and cyclin E. Meanwhile, pristimerin induced significant apoptosis of CAL‑27 and SCC‑25 cells, alongside decreased levels of caspase‑3 and specific cleavage of poly (ADP‑ribose) polymerase. These effects were associated with inhibition of the mitogen‑activated protein kinase/extracellular signal‑regulated kinase 1/2 and protein kinase B signaling pathways. With regards to these results, pristimerin may be considered a potent novel active substance for the tre...