Dataset Information

Ginsenoside Rh2 represses autophagy to promote cervical cancer cell apoptosis during starvation.

ABSTRACT: Background: Cancer cells through autophagy-mediated recycling to meet the metabolic demands of growth and proliferation. The steroidal saponin 20(S)-ginsenoside Rh2 effectively inhibits the growth and survival of a variety of tumor cell lines and animal models, but the effects of Rh2 on autophagy remain elusive.

Methods: Cell viability was measured by CCK-8 (cell counting kit-8) assays. Apoptosis, ROS generation and mitochondrial membrane potential were analyzed by flow cytometry. Western blot analyses were used to determine changes in protein levels. Morphology of apoptotic cells and autophagosome accumulation were analyzed by DAPI staining and transmission electron microscopy. Autophagy induction was monitored by acidic vesicular organelle staining, EGFP-LC3 and mRFP-GFP-LC3 transfection. Atg7 siRNA and autophagy regulator was used to assess the effect of autophagy on apoptosis induced by G-Rh2.

Results: In this study, we found that low concentration G-Rh2 attenuated cancer cell growth and induced apoptosis upon serum-free starvation. Caspase 3 inhibitors failed to block apoptosis in G-Rh2-treated cells, indicating a caspase-independent mechanism. G-Rh2-treated cells in serum-deprived conditions showed impaired mitochondrial function, increased release and nuclear translocation of apoptosis-inducing factor, but little changes in the mitochondrial and cytoplasmic distributions of cytochrome C. Annexin A2 overexpression in 293T cells inhibited G-Rh2-induced apoptosis under serum-starved conditions. Meanwhile, G-Rh2 reduced lysosomal activity and inhibited the fusion of autophagosome and lysosome, leading to a block of autophagic flux. Knockdown Atg7 significantly inhibited autophagy and triggered AIF-induced apoptosis in serm free condition. The autophagy inducer significantly decreased the apoptosis levels of G-Rh2-treated cells in serum-free conditions.

Conclusions: Under nutrient deficient conditions, G-Rh2 represses autophagy in cervical cancer cells and enhanced apoptosis through an apoptosis-inducing factor mediated pathway.

SUBMITTER: Wang J

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7661217 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Ginsenoside Rh2 represses autophagy to promote cervical cancer cell apoptosis during starvation.

Wang Jiawen J Bian Shuai S Wang Siming S Yang Song S Zhang Wanying W Zhao Daqing D Liu Meichen M Bai Xueyuan X

Chinese medicine 20201112 1

<h4>Background</h4>Cancer cells through autophagy-mediated recycling to meet the metabolic demands of growth and proliferation. The steroidal saponin 20(S)-ginsenoside Rh2 effectively inhibits the growth and survival of a variety of tumor cell lines and animal models, but the effects of Rh2 on autophagy remain elusive.<h4>Methods</h4>Cell viability was measured by CCK-8 (cell counting kit-8) assays. Apoptosis, ROS generation and mitochondrial membrane potential were analyzed by flow cytometry. W ...[more]

PMID: 33292331

Similar Datasets

Project description:The efficacy of ginsenoside Rh2 (Rh2) in cancer therapy has been reported; however, its function in lung cancer remains unknown. To analyze the role of Rh2 in the inhibition of lung cancer cell proliferation in the present study, protein expression levels of E-cadherin, vimentin, ?-catenin, Smo, Gli1, and ?-catenin were assessed by western blotting, whilst mRNA expression levels of TCF7 FZD8, Smo, Gli1, Gli2, and Gli3 were determined by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR in the A549 cell line. Phosphorylation sites were detected by proteomic methods and cell proliferation was analyzed by MTT assay. The present study revealed that Rh2 treatment significantly inhibited cell proliferation. Western blotting indicated that the expression levels of E-cadherin were increased and vimentin was downregulated in Rh2-treated cells compared with control cells. Treatment of A549 cells with Rh2 suppressed phosphorylation of five distinct proteins and increased phosphorylation of nine proteins. Among them, the phosphorylation of ?-catenin at S641 was significantly induced. Rh2 treatment suppressed the expression levels of key genes involved in Wnt (Wnt3, transcription factor 7 and frizzled class receptor 8) and hedgehog [smoothened, frizzled class receptor (Smo), GLI family zinc finger (Gli)1, Gli2, and Gli3] signaling. Immunoblotting results indicated that ?-catenin, Smo and Gli1 protein expression levels were also suppressed by treatment with Rh2 compared with control treatment. Expression of ?-catenin S641D, a phosphomimetic form of ?-catenin, inhibited the accumulation of ?-catenin and Gli1 and inhibited cell proliferation and invasion. Furthermore, knockdown of ?-catenin (CTNNB1) or Gli1 with specific small interfering RNAs inhibited cell proliferation, whereas overexpression of these genes had an opposite effect. Additionally, overexpression of ?-catenin or Gli1 activated cell proliferation, even in the presence of Rh2, suggesting that Rh2 affects A549 cell proliferation through inhibition of Wnt and hedgehog signaling by phosphorylation of ?-catenin at S641. Together, these data suggested that Rh2 treatment may inhibit the proliferation of A549 lung cancer cells. Further exploration of the underlying mechanism by which Rh2 inhibits cell proliferation is warranted.

Dataset Information

Ginsenoside Rh2 represses autophagy to promote cervical cancer cell apoptosis during starvation.

Publications

Ginsenoside Rh2 represses autophagy to promote cervical cancer cell apoptosis during starvation.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets