Abstract
Objective
To investigate the effects of ursolic acid on the proliferation and apoptosis of human HT-29 colon cancer cells.
Methods
3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) and flow cytometry assays were performed to evaluate the effects of ursolic acid on the growth and apoptosis of HT-29 cells. Western blot analysis was applied to investigate the inhibitory effects of ursolic acid on the phosphorylation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), extracellular signalregulated kinase (ERK), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK), and the activity of B cell leukemia-2 (Bcl-2), B cell leukemia-xL (Bcl-xL), caspase-3, and caspase-9.
Results
Ursolic acid inhibited the growth of HT-29 cells in dose- and time-dependent manners. The median inhibition concentration (IC50) values for 24, 48, and 72 h treatment were 26, 20, and 18 μmol/L, respectively. The apoptotic rates of 10, 20, and 40 μmol/L ursolic acid treatments for 24 h were 5.74%, 14.49%, and 33.05%, and for 48 h were 9%, 21.39%, and 40.49%, respectively. Ursolic acid suppressed the phosphorylation of EGFR, ERK1/2, p38 MAPK, and JNK, which is well correlated with its growth inhibitory effect. 10, 20, and 40 μmol/L ursolic acid significantly inhibited the proliferation of EGF-stimulated HT-29 cells (P<0.05). Cell proliferation was most significantly inhibited when treated with 10 and 20 μmol/L ursolic acid combined with 200 nmol/L AG 1478 or 10 μmol/L U0126 (P<0.01). Besides, it also down-regulated the expression of Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL and activated caspase-3 and caspase-9.
Conclusion
Ursolic acid induces apoptosis in HT-29 cells by suppressing the EGFR/MAPK pathway, suggesting that it may be a potent agent for the treatment of colorectal cancer.
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Project supported by the Hi-Tech Research and Development Program (863) of China (No. 2006AA02Z341) and the Science and Technology Research Program of Zhejiang Province, China (No. 2008C30037)
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Shan, Jz., Xuan, Yy., Zheng, S. et al. Ursolic acid inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis of HT-29 colon cancer cells by inhibiting the EGFR/MAPK pathway. J. Zhejiang Univ. Sci. B 10, 668–674 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1631/jzus.B0920149
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1631/jzus.B0920149
Key words
- Colon cancer
- Ursolic acid
- Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)
- Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)
- Apoptosis