Apoptosis Signal-Regulating Kinase 1 (ASK1) Activation is Involved in Silver Nanoparticles Induced Apoptosis of A549 Lung Cancer Cell Line.

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are one of the most important nanomaterials in the field of medicine. Our study investigated whether AgNPs induce apoptosis of human adenocarcinoma A549 cells and their possible involvement in Apoptosis Signal-Regulating Kinase 1 (ASK1). The prepared AgNPs had high stability and excellent monodispersity. They also possessed inhibitory effect on A549 cells proliferation in a concentration-dependent manner by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK8) assay and Hoechst 33342 Fluorescence. The AgNPs significantly induced production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in A549 cells. We also observed an increased cytoplasmic staining of p-ASK1 in cells by immunocytochemical analysis, compared with non-treated cells. In addition, we found sequential activation of ASK1, c-Jun N terminal kinase (JNK), p38 Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase (p38) and caspase3 by Western blot after treatment with AgNPs. The AgNPs may thus inhibit growth of lung cancer cells and induce apoptosis. The anti-cancer mechanism for the AgNPs may be involved in activating the ASK1-JNK/p38-Caspase-3 pathway.