Antiproliferative Activity of Carnosic Acid is Mediated via Inhibition of Cell Migration and Invasion, and Suppression of Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases (PI3K)/AKT/Mammalian Target of Rapamycin (mTOR) Signaling Pathway
Liqun Zhao, Juanni Zhang, Yinke Fan, Ya Li
(Department of Respiratory Medicine, Xi’an No. 4 Hospital, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China (mainland))
Med Sci Monit 2019; 25:7864-7871
DOI: 10.12659/MSM.917735
Published: 2019-10-21

BACKGROUND:
Lung cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortalities worldwide and majority of these deaths result from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The primary objective of this research was to determine the anticancer potential of carnosic acid, a plant derived abietane diterpene, against human lung cancer cells, as well as to determine its effects on cell migration and invasion, apoptosis, and the PI3K/AKT/m-TOR signaling pathway.
MATERIAL AND METHODS:
Cell viability was evaluated by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay; fluorescence microscopy using acridine orange/ethidium bromide stain and Comet assay were used to study cellular apoptosis. In vitro wound healing assay was used to study effects on cell migration; Transwell assay was used to study cell invasion after drug treatment. Western blot assay was used to study effects of carnosic acid on the PI3K/AKT/m-TOR signaling pathway.
RESULTS:
It was shown that carnosic acid could inhibit the growth of A-549 human non-small cell lung carcinoma cells dose-dependently showing an IC₅₀ value of 12.5 μM. This growth inhibition of A-549 cells was mediated via apoptotic cell death as observed by fluorescence microscopy showing nuclear fragmentation and chromatin condensation. Carnosic acid, dose-dependently, also inhibited cell migration and invasion. Finally, western blot assay revealed that carnosic acid also led to inhibition of the PI3K/AKT/m-TOR signaling pathway.
CONCLUSIONS:
In conclusion, our results showed that Carnosic acid has the potential to inhibit cancer cell growth in A-549 lung cancer cells by activating apoptotic death, inhibiting cell migration and invasion and suppressing PI3K/AKT/m-TOR signaling pathway.
Keywords: Apoptosis, Cell Migration Assays, Lung Neoplasms, Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases