Pancreatic cancer is a common
malignancy that has a poor prognosis and limited therapeutic options.
Enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) serves a key role in the progression of different types of
cancers. The effect of
GSK343 (a competitive inhibitor of EZH2) on
pancreatic cancer cells was assessed in the present study. Cell viability was evaluated using MTT and cell counting kit-8 assays in AsPC-1 and PANC-1 cells. Flow cytometry and an EdU assay were also performed to assess the effects of
GSK343 on cell proliferation, apoptosis and the cell cycle. The induction of autophagy and associated molecular mechanisms were studied using fluorescence microscopy and western blot analysis. The results demonstrated that
GSK343 inhibited cell viability in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Furthermore,
GSK343 suppressed cell proliferation, promoted apoptosis and blocked cell cycle progression at the G1-phase. Furthermore,
GSK343 induced autophagy in
pancreatic cancer via the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. In conclusion,
GSK343 exhibited an anti-
cancer effect on
pancreatic cancer cells, downregulating the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway.