Cytotoxic effect of p-Coumaric acid on neuroblastoma, N2a cell via generation of reactive oxygen species leading to dysfunction of mitochondria inducing apoptosis and autophagy.

p-Coumaric acid (p-CA), an ubiquitous plant phenolic acid, has been proven to render protection against pathological conditions. In the present study, p-CA was evaluated for its capacity to induce cytotoxic effect to neuroblastoma N2a cells and we report here the possible mechanism of its action. p-CA at a concentration of 150 μmol/L, upon exposure for 72 h, stimulated 81.23 % of cells to apoptosis, as evidenced by flow cytometer studies mediated through elevated levels of ROS (7.5-fold over control). Excess ROS production activated structural injury to mitochondrial membrane, observed as dissipation of its membrane potential and followed by the release of cytochrome c (8.73-fold). Enhanced generation of intracellular ROS correlated well with the decreased levels (~60 %) of intracellular GSH. Sensitizing neuroblastoma cells for induction of apoptosis by p-CA identified p53-mediated upregulated accumulation of caspase-8 messenger RNA (2.8-fold). Our data report on autophagy, representing an additional mechanism of p-CA to induce growth arrest, detected by immunoblotting and fluorescence, correlated with accumulation of elevated levels (1.2-fold) of the LC3-II protein and acridine orange-stained autophagosomes, both autophagy markers. The present study indicates p-CA was effective in production of ROS-dependent mitochondrial damage-induced cytotoxicity in N2a cells.