Songtian Che1, Shuai Wu2, Peng Yu1. 1. Department of Ocular Fundus Disease, the Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, People's Republic of China. 2. Department of Orbital Disease and Ocular Plastic Surgery, the Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, People's Republic of China.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the anticancer effects of lupeol in retinoblastoma cells. METHODS: WERI-Rb-1 and Y-79 cell lines were used to evaluate the anticancer effect of lupeol. After lupeol treatment, the viability, proliferation, apoptosis, cancer stem-like properties, autophagy and in vivo tumour xenograft formation were detected. KEY FINDINGS: In this study, lupeol decreased cell viability in both WERI-Rb-1 and Y-79 cell lines. Lupeol could also inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis of RB cells, with increased Bax level and decreased Ki67, survivin and Bcl-2 levels. Furthermore, lupeol could suppress the spheroid formation and stem-like properties of RB cells. Moreover, LC3 II/LC3 I ratio and the levels of Beclin1 and ATG7 were increased after lupeol treatment, indicating that lupeol could induce autophagy in RB cells. Next, the inhibitory effect of lupeol on the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin pathway was observed. In tumour-bearing mice, lupeol suppressed tumour growth, and this might relate to its role in cell apoptosis, autophagy and stem-like properties. CONCLUSIONS: Lupeol suppressed proliferation and cancer stem-like properties, and promoted autophagy and apoptosis of RB cells by restraining the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway.
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the anticancer effects of lupeol in retinoblastoma cells. METHODS: WERI-Rb-1 and Y-79 cell lines were used to evaluate the anticancer effect of lupeol. After lupeol treatment, the viability, proliferation, apoptosis, cancer stem-like properties, autophagy and in vivo tumour xenograft formation were detected. KEY FINDINGS: In this study, lupeol decreased cell viability in both WERI-Rb-1 and Y-79 cell lines. Lupeol could also inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis of RB cells, with increased Bax level and decreased Ki67, survivin and Bcl-2 levels. Furthermore, lupeol could suppress the spheroid formation and stem-like properties of RB cells. Moreover, LC3 II/LC3 I ratio and the levels of Beclin1 and ATG7 were increased after lupeol treatment, indicating that lupeol could induce autophagy in RB cells. Next, the inhibitory effect of lupeol on the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin pathway was observed. In tumour-bearing mice, lupeol suppressed tumour growth, and this might relate to its role in cell apoptosis, autophagy and stem-like properties. CONCLUSIONS: Lupeol suppressed proliferation and cancer stem-like properties, and promoted autophagy and apoptosis of RB cells by restraining the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway.