Oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum stress signaling are involved in dehydrocostuslactone-mediated apoptosis in human non-small cell lung cancer cells

Lung Cancer. 2010 Jun;68(3):355-65. doi: 10.1016/j.lungcan.2009.07.017. Epub 2009 Aug 22.

Abstract

This study investigates the anticancer effect of dehydrocostuslactone (DHE), a medicinal plant-derived sesquiterpene lactone, on human non-small cell lung cancer cell lines, A549, NCI-H460 and NCI-H520. Our results show that DHE inhibits the proliferation of A549, NCI-H460 and NCI-H520 cells. DHE-induced apoptosis in both A549 and NCI-H460 cells. DHE triggered endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, as indicated by changes in cytosol-calcium levels, PKR-like ER kinase (PERK) phosphorylation, inositol requiring protein 1 (IRE1) and CHOP/GADD153 upregulation, X-box transcription factor-1 (XBP-1) mRNA splicing, and caspase-4 activation. The release of calcium triggered the production of ROS, which further enhances calcium overloading and subsequently activates p38, JNK and ERK1/2. Both IRE1 miRNA transfection and BAPTA-AM pretreatment inhibit DHE-mediated apoptosis, supporting the hypothesis that DHE induces cell death through ER stress. Importantly, a novel anticancer agent for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer, and is supported by animal studies which have shown a dramatic 50% reduction in tumor size after 28 days of treatment. This study demonstrates that DHE may be a novel anticancer agent for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Calcium / metabolism
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / drug therapy*
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / metabolism
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / pathology
  • Caspases, Initiator / metabolism
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism
  • Endoplasmic Reticulum / drug effects*
  • Endoplasmic Reticulum / metabolism
  • Endoribonucleases / genetics
  • Endoribonucleases / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Lactones / pharmacology*
  • Lung Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Lung Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Lung Neoplasms / pathology
  • Membrane Proteins / genetics
  • Membrane Proteins / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Mice, Nude
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases / metabolism
  • Neoplasm Transplantation
  • Oxidative Stress
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / genetics
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / metabolism
  • Reactive Oxygen Species
  • Regulatory Factor X Transcription Factors
  • Sesquiterpenes / pharmacology*
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects
  • Transcription Factor CHOP / metabolism
  • Transcription Factors / genetics
  • Transcription Factors / metabolism
  • Tumor Burden / drug effects
  • X-Box Binding Protein 1
  • eIF-2 Kinase / metabolism

Substances

  • DDIT3 protein, human
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Lactones
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Reactive Oxygen Species
  • Regulatory Factor X Transcription Factors
  • Sesquiterpenes
  • Transcription Factors
  • X-Box Binding Protein 1
  • XBP1 protein, human
  • Xbp1 protein, mouse
  • Transcription Factor CHOP
  • dehydrocostus lactone
  • ERN2 protein, human
  • PERK kinase
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases
  • eIF-2 Kinase
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases
  • Endoribonucleases
  • CASP4 protein, human
  • Caspases, Initiator
  • Calcium