The ginsenoside Rk3 exerts anti-esophageal cancer activity in vitro and in vivo by mediating apoptosis and autophagy through regulation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway.

Abstract

The rare ginsenoside Rk3 is a bioactive component derived from ginseng and Panax notoginseng that has been proven to possess anti-lung cancer activity. However, the effect of Rk3 on human esophageal cancer has not yet been reported. In this study, we aimed to explore its anticancer curative effect and potential molecular mechanisms in the Eca109 and KYSE150 cell lines. We found that Rk3 was able to significantly repress cell proliferation and colony formation in both Eca109 and KYSE150 cells in vitro. In the KYSE150 xenograft model, Rk3 obviously inhibited tumor growth and exhibited little toxicity in organs. Moreover, Rk3 could trigger G1 phase arrest and induce apoptosis and autophagy. Interestingly, apoptosis induced by Rk3 could be partly abrogated by 3-MA (an autophagy inhibitor), implying that autophagy could enhance apoptosis. Further studies indicated that pretreatment with the Akt inhibitor GSK690693 or the mTOR inhibitor rapamycin promoted Rk3-induced apoptosis and autophagy, demonstrating that the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway is related to Rk3-induced apoptosis and autophagy. In conclusion, the present study is the first to clarify that Rk3 can inhibit Eca109 and KYSE150 cell proliferation through activating apoptosis and autophagy by blocking the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway, suggesting that Rk3 may be a promising antitumor agent for esophageal cancer. In addition, this study provides ideas and an experimental basis for further research on the anti-esophageal cancer effects of the ginsenoside Rk3 and its mechanism.

• Authors: Huanhuan Liu, Jiaqi Zhao, Rongzhan Fu, Chenhui Zhu, Daidi Fan
• Journal: PloS one (PLoS One) Vol. 14 Issue 5 Pg. e0216759 ( 2019) ISSN: 1932-6203 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 31091245 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic
• Ginsenosides
• ginsenoside Rk3
• MTOR protein, human
• Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
• TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases

Topics

• Animals
• Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic (pharmacology)
• Apoptosis (drug effects)
• Autophagy (drug effects)
• Cell Cycle Checkpoints (drug effects)
• Cell Line, Tumor
• Esophageal Neoplasms (drug therapy, metabolism, pathology)
• Female
• Ginsenosides (pharmacology)
• Humans
• In Vitro Techniques
• Mice
• Mice, Inbred BALB C
• Mice, Nude
• Models, Biological
• Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases (metabolism)
• Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt (metabolism)
• Signal Transduction (drug effects)
• TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases (metabolism)
• Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays