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Baicalin Induces Apoptosis and Suppresses the Cell Cycle Progression of Lung Cancer Cells Through Downregulating Akt/mTOR Signaling Pathway
20 Pages Posted: 16 Sep 2020
More...Abstract
Background: Baicalin, isolated from the dried root of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi (Huang Qin), is widely used in the traditional Chinese herbal medicine for its antioxidative, anticancer, anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative activities. Although several studies have reported the antitumor effects of baicalin against various cancer types, its beneficial effects on lung cancer have not yet been explored.
Methods: Lung cancer cell lines H1299 and H1650 were treated with baicalin. Cell viability was determined by CCK-8 assay. The changes of apoptosis, cell cycle and Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathways were assessed by western blot. Xenograft mouse model and immunohistochemistry assay were utilized to confirm the effects and mechanisms of baicalin.
Findings: Baicalin exerted its anticancer activity through inducing apoptosis and suppressing cell cycle progression of lung cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, we showed that Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibition was a key determinant in baicalin-induced cell cycle arrest. Activation of Akt by the chemical compound SC79 or Akt plasmid transfection abrogated the anticancer effects of baicalin in both H1299 and H1650 cells.
Interpretation: Our data suggest that the natural product baicalin exerts its anticancer activity by promoting apoptosis and inducing Akt-dependent cell cycle arrest, which will hopefully provide a prospective compound for lung cancer treatment.
Funding Statement: This study was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China China (grant No. 81874380, 81672932, 81730108 and 81973635), Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China for Distinguished Young Scholars (grant No. LR18H160001) and Zhejiang province science and technology project of TCM (grant No. 2019ZZ016, 2020ZQ046).
Declaration of Interests: The authors declare no competing interests.
Ethics Approval Statement: All the animal-related procedures were approved by the Animal Care and Use Committee of Zhejiang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (approval ID: 11139).
Keywords: Baicalin, cell cycle, apoptosis, lung cancer, Akt, mTOR, Baicalin, cell cycle, apoptosis, lung cancer, Akt, mTOR
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