Affiliations: Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Soochow University, Suzhou 215004, Jiangsu, China
Correspondence:
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Corresponding authors: Qing Lan, Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Soochow University, Suzhou 215004, Jiangsu, China. E-mail:yuanliqun19810919@163.com
Abstract: Previous studies indicate that the triterpene glycoside Actein from the herb
black cohosh inhibits growth of human breast cancer cells. This study sought
to investigate the effects of Actein on glioma cell growth and explore the
potential mechanisms. Our results showed that administration of Actein
significantly inhibited glioma cell viability in a dose- and time-dependent
manner. Actein also increasingly inhibited the colony formation processes in
glioma U87 cells and U251 cells. Administration of Actein also induced
mitochondria-related apoptosis by increasing expression of pro-apoptotic
factors Bax, cleaved caspase-3, cleaved caspase-9 and cleaved poly
(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1) as well as decreasing anti-apoptotic Bcl-2
expression in U87 cells and U251 cells. In a xenograft model of glioma,
Actein suppressed tumor growth and consistently induced cell apoptosis with
the same mechanisms observed in vitro. In all, this study is the first
report to address the growth inhibitory effects of Actein on glioma growth
and propose that mitochondria-mediated apoptosis pathway may underlie the
biological activities of Actein in glioma. Our study suggests that
administration of Actein may serve as a potent therapeutic strategy for
treatment of glioma.
