Plumbagin reduces osteopontin-induced invasion through inhibiting the Rho-associated kinase signaling pathway in A549 cells and suppresses osteopontin-induced lung metastasis in BalB/c mice.

Abstract

Lung cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer deaths in both men and women in the United States. It has been recently demonstrated that osteopontin (OPN) effectively inhibits cofilin activity through the focal adhesion kinase (FAK)/AKT/Rho-associated kinase (ROCK) pathway to induce the invasion of human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells. Plumbagin was isolated from the roots of the medicinal plant Plumbago zeylanica L. and has been reported to possess anticancer activities. However, the molecular mechanisms by which plumbagin inhibits the invasion of cancer cells is still unclear. In this study, the anti-invasive and anti-metastatic mechanisms of plumbagin were investigated in OPN-treated NSCLC A549 cells. OPN effectively induced the motility and invasion of NSCLC A549 cells and H1299 cells, which was strongly suppressed by plumbagin with no evidence of cytotoxicity. In addition, lamellipodia formation at the leading edge of cells by OPN was dramatically decreased in plumbagin-treated cells. Plumbagin caused an effective inhibition in OPN-induced the expression of ROCK1 as well as the phosphorylation of LIM kinase 1 and 2 (LIMK1/2), and cofilin. OPN-induced the phosphorylation of FAK and AKT was impaired without affecting their total forms by plumbagin treatment. OPN facilitated metastatic lung colonization, which was effectively suppressed in plumbagin-treated mice. Taken together, these results suggest that plumbagin reduces OPN-induced the invasion of NSCLC A549 cells, which resulted from inhibiting the ROCK pathway mediated by the FAK/AKT pathway and suppresses lung metastasis in vivo.

• Authors: Chi Gu Kang, Eunji Im, Hyo-Jeong Lee, Eun-Ok Lee
• Journal: Bioorganic & medicinal chemistry letters (Bioorg Med Chem Lett) Vol. 27 Issue 9 Pg. 1914-1918 (05 01 2017) ISSN: 1464-3405 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 28359791 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic
• Naphthoquinones
• Protein Kinase Inhibitors
• Osteopontin
• rho-Associated Kinases
• plumbagin

Topics

• A549 Cells
• Animals
• Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic (chemistry, pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung (drug therapy, metabolism, pathology)
• Cell Movement (drug effects)
• Humans
• Lung (drug effects, metabolism, pathology)
• Lung Neoplasms (drug therapy, metabolism, pathology)
• Male
• Mice, Inbred BALB C
• Mice, Nude
• Naphthoquinones (chemistry, pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Neoplasm Invasiveness (pathology, prevention & control)
• Osteopontin (metabolism)
• Plumbaginaceae (chemistry)
• Protein Kinase Inhibitors (chemistry, pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Signal Transduction (drug effects)
• rho-Associated Kinases (antagonists & inhibitors, metabolism)