Cordycepin Induces Apoptosis and Inhibits Proliferation of Human Lung Cancer Cell Line H1975 via Inhibiting the Phosphorylation of EGFR
by
Zheng Wang 1,*,†, Xue Wu 2,†, Yan-Ni Liang 1,†, Li Wang 1, Zhong-Xing Song 1, Jian-Li Liu 3 and Zhi-Shu Tang 1,*
Zheng Wang 1,*,†, Xue Wu 2,†, Yan-Ni Liang 1,†, Li Wang 1, Zhong-Xing Song 1, Jian-Li Liu 3 and Zhi-Shu Tang 1,*
1
Shaanxi Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, Shaanxi Province Key Laboratory of New Drugs and Chinese Medicine Foundation Research, Shaanxi Rheumatism and Tumor Center of TCM Engineering Technology Research, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xian Yang 712083, China
2
Department of Burns and Cutaneous Surgery, Xijing Hospital, Xi’an 710032, China
3
Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi’an 710069, China
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Academic Editor: Derek J. McPhee
Molecules 2016, 21(10), 1267; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules21101267
Received: 10 July 2016 / Revised: 13 September 2016 / Accepted: 19 September 2016 / Published: 27 September 2016
Cordycepin is an active component of the traditional Chinese medicine Cordyceps sinensis and Cordyceps militaris with notable anticancer activity. Though the prominent inhibitory activity was reported in different kinds of cancer cell lines, the concrete mechanisms remain elusive. It was reported that cordycepin could be converted into tri-phosphates in vivo to confuse a number of enzymes and interfere the normal cell function. For the inhibitory mechanism of EGFR inhibitors and the structure similarity of ATP and tri-phosphated cordycepin, human lung cancer cell line H1975 was employed to investigate the inhibitory effect of cordycepin. The results showed that cordycepin could inhibit cell proliferation and induce apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. Cell cycle analysis revealed that H1975 cells could be arrested at the G0/G1 phase after cordycepin treatment. The expression levels of apoptosis-related protein Caspase-3 and Bcl-2 and phosphorylated expression levels of EGFR, AKT and ERK1/2 were all decreased compared with the control group stimulated with EGF. However, the protein expression levels of proapoptotic protein Bax and cleaved caspase-3 were increased. These results implied that cordycepin could inhibit cell proliferation and induce apoptosis via the EGFR signaling pathway. Our results indicated that there was potential to seek a novel EGFR inhibitor from cordycepin and its chemical derivatives.
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Keywords:
cordycepin; H1975 cell line; apoptosis; proliferation; EGFR
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MDPI and ACS Style
Wang, Z.; Wu, X.; Liang, Y.-N.; Wang, L.; Song, Z.-X.; Liu, J.-L.; Tang, Z.-S. Cordycepin Induces Apoptosis and Inhibits Proliferation of Human Lung Cancer Cell Line H1975 via Inhibiting the Phosphorylation of EGFR. Molecules 2016, 21, 1267.
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