piplartine and Mouth-Neoplasms

Cancer is a principal cause of death in the world, and providing a better quality of life and reducing mortality through effective pharmacological treatment remains a challenge. Among malignant tumor types, squamous cell carcinoma-esophageal cancer (EC) is usually located in the mouth, with approximately 90% located mainly on the tongue and floor of the mouth. Piplartine is an alkamide found in certain species of the genus

Topics: Cell Line, Tumor; Humans; Mouth Neoplasms; Piperidones; Quality of Life; Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), an aggressive cancer originating in the oral cavity, is one of the leading causes of cancer deaths in males worldwide. This study investigated the antitumor activity and mechanisms of piperlongumine (PL), a natural compound isolated from Piper longum L., in human OSCC cells. The effects of PL on cell proliferation, the cell cycle, apoptosis, senescence and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in human OSCC cells were investigated. PL effectively inhibited cell growth, caused cell cycle arrest and induced apoptosis and senescence in OSCC cells. Moreover, PL-mediated anti-human OSCC behavior was inhibited by an ROS scavenger N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC) treatment, suggesting that regulation of ROS was involved in the mechanism of the anticancer activity of PL. These findings suggest that PL suppresses tumor growth by regulating the cell cycle and inducing apoptosis and senescence and is a potential chemotherapy agent for human OSCC cells.

Topics: Acetylcysteine; Antineoplastic Agents; Apoptosis; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; Caspase 3; Cell Cycle Checkpoints; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Proliferation; Cellular Senescence; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21; Dioxolanes; DNA Fragmentation; Humans; Mouth Neoplasms; Reactive Oxygen Species