Phyllanthus urinaria induces mitochondrial dysfunction in human osteosarcoma 143B cells associated with modulation of mitochondrial fission/fusion proteins.

Phyllanthus urinaria (P. urinaria), a widely used herbal medicine, has been reported to possess various biological characteristics including anti-inflammation, anti-virus, anti-bacteria, anti-hepatotoxicity and anti-cancer. This study provides molecular evidence associated with the dynamics and organization of mitochondria in osteosarcoma 143B cells resulted from P urinaria. Herein, P. urinaria-induced cytotoxicity and ROS associated with the inhibition of mitochondrial membrane potential were reversed by N-acetylcysteine (NAC). The endogenous antioxidant enzymes such as manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX1) were activated by P. urinaria, but not correlated to catalase. P. urinaria decreased mitochondrial respiration activity as well as respiratory chain enzymes and HIF-1α in osteosarcoma 143B cells. Additionally, both adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthase activation and ATP production were suppressed by P. urinaria. We further investigated changes of mitochondrial dynamic in osteosarcoma 143B cells. P. urinaria indeed fragmented the mitochondrial network of osteosarcoma 143B cells. We found a significant decrease in optic atrophy type 1 (Opa1) and mitofusin 1 (Mfn1) related to fusion proteins as well as increase mitochondrial fission 1 protein (Fis1) related to fission protein. It indicated that P. urinaria modulated the mitochondrial dynamics via fusion and fission machinery. Altogether, this study offers the evidence that mitochondrial dysfunction with dynamic change is essential components for the anti-cancer mechanism elicited by P. urinaria.