atractylenolide-i and Colorectal-Neoplasms

Atractylenolide I (ATL-1) is a natural herbal compound used in traditional Chinese medicine that has exhibited anti-cancer properties. The anti-tumorigenic activity of ATL-1 against colorectal cancer (CRC) and the underlying signaling pathways involved in its mechanisms are examined here.. ATL-1 exerts therapeutic effect against CRC by disrupting glucose metabolism and cancer stem cell maintenance via AKT/mTOR pathway regulation.. In vitro studies were performed in COLO205 and HCT116 CRC cell lines and in vivo studies were conducted in a mouse xenograft model of CRC tumor.. CRC cells were treated with ATL-1 at various concentrations, with or without inhibitors of AKT or mTOR. Cell proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, stemness maintenance, glucose metabolism, and AKT/mTOR signaling were evaluated. CRC tumor-xenografted mice were treated with an AKT inhibitor and/or ATL-1, and glucose metabolism and stemness maintenance were examined in tumor tissues.. ATL-1 significantly inhibited the invasion of CRC cells by inducing their apoptosis, possibly via the excessive production of reactive oxygen species. Glucose metabolism (Warburg effect) was also altered and stem-like traits were suppressed by ATL-1. In addition, ATL-1 effectively acted as an inhibitor or AKT/mTOR by downregulating the phosphorylation of proteins related to the AKT/mTOR pathway. In vivo studies showed that tumor weight and volume were reduced by ATL-1 and that aerobic glycolysis, stemness maintenance, and AKT/mTOR activation were impaired by ATL-1 in colorectal tumors.. ATL-1 acts as an effective agent to suppress colorectal tumor progression, mainly by inhibiting CRC cell proliferation through altering apoptosis, glucose metabolism, and stem-like behavior. These processes were mediated by the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway both in vitro and in vivo. ATL-1 may be a potential agent to be used in molecular-targeted strategies for cancer treatment.

Topics: Animals; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; Apoptosis; Cell Proliferation; Colorectal Neoplasms; Down-Regulation; HCT116 Cells; Humans; Lactones; Male; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Phosphorylation; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; Reactive Oxygen Species; Sesquiterpenes; Signal Transduction; TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays