Celastrol induces apoptosis in non-small-cell lung cancer A549 cells through activation of mitochondria- and Fas/FasL-mediated pathways.

Celastrol is a natural compound extracted from the traditional Chinese medicinal herb, Tripterygium wilfordii Hook. It has attracted interests for its potential anti-inflammatory and antitumor effects. However, the molecular mechanisms of celastrol-induced apoptosis in cancer cells remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the effects of celastrol on the human non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell line A549 in vitro. Celastrol caused a dose- and time-dependent growth inhibition of A549 cells with an IC(50) of 2.12 μM at 48 h treatment. Celastrol induced A549 cells apoptosis as confirmed by annexin V/propidium iodide staining and DNA fragmentation. Celastrol-induced apoptosis was characterized by cleavage of caspase-9, caspase-8, caspase-3, and PARP protein, increased Fas and FasL expression, and a reduction in the mitochondrial membrane potential. Furthermore, celastrol induced the release of cytochrome c. Celastrol also up-regulated the expression of pro-apoptotic Bax, down-regulated anti-apoptotic Bcl-2, and inhibited Akt phosphorylation. These results demonstrate that celastrol can induce apoptosis of human NSCLC A549 cells through activation of both mitochondria- and FasL-mediated pathways.

Mou H ，Zheng Y ，Zhao P ，Bao H ，Fang W ，Xu N ... -  《-》

Regulation of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Apoptotic Pathways in Osteosarcoma Cells Following Oleandrin Treatment.

Ma Y ，Zhu B ，Yong L ，Song C ，Liu X ，Yu H ，Wang P ，Liu Z ，Liu X ... -  《INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES》

Mechanism of Arctigenin-Induced Specific Cytotoxicity against Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cell Lines: Hep G2 and SMMC7721.

Lu Z ，Cao S ，Zhou H ，Hua L ，Zhang S ，Cao J ... -  《PLoS One》

Celastrol induces mitochondria-mediated apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma Bel-7402 cells.

Li PP ，He W ，Yuan PF ，Song SS ，Lu JT ，Wei W ... -  《-》

A novel schiff base zinc coordination compound inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis of human osteosarcoma cells.

Yan M ，Pang L ，Ma TT ，Zhao CL ，Zhang N ，Yu BX ，Xia Y ... -  《-》