Antroquinonol inhibits NSCLC proliferation by altering PI3K/mTOR proteins and miRNA expression profiles.

Antroquinonol a derivative of Antrodia camphorata has been reported to have antitumor effects against various cancer cells. However, the effect of antroquinonol on cell signalling and survival pathways in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells has not been fully demarcated. Here we report that antroquinonol treatment significantly reduced the proliferation of three NSCLC cells. Treatment of A549 cells with antroquinonol increased cell shrinkage, apoptotic vacuoles, pore formation, TUNEL positive cells and increased Sub-G1 cell population with respect to time and dose dependent manner. Antroquinonol treatment not only increased the Sub-G1 accumulation but also reduced the protein levels of cdc2 without altering the expression of cyclin B1, cdc25C, pcdc2, and pcdc25C. Antroquinonol induced apoptosis was associated with disrupted mitochondrial membrane potential and activation of Caspase 3 and PARP cleavage in A549 cells. Moreover, antroquinonol treatment down regulated the expression of Bcl2 proteins, which was correlated with the decreased PI3K and mTOR protein levels without altering pro apoptotic and anti apoptotic proteins. Results from the microarray analysis demonstrated that antroquinonol altered the expression level of miRNAs compared with untreated control in A549 cells. The data collectively suggested the antiproliferative effect of antroquinonol on NSCLC A549 cells, which provides useful information for understanding the anticancer mechanism influenced by antroquinonol and is the first report to suggest that antroquinonol may be a promising chemotherapeutic agent for lung cancer.