Celastrus orbiculatus extracts induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in human esophageal squamous carcinoma ECA-109 cells in vitro via the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway

Jin,Feng; Zhu,Guang; Li,Dan; Ni,Tengyang; Dai,Xiaojun; Wang,Haibo; Feng,Jun; Qian,Yayun; Yang,Lin; Guo,Shiyu; Hisamitsu,Tadashi; Liu,Yanqing

doi:10.3892/ol.2017.7459

Celastrus orbiculatus extracts induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in human esophageal squamous carcinoma ECA-109 cells in vitro via the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway

Authors:
- Feng Jin
- Guang Zhu
- Dan Li
- Tengyang Ni
- Xiaojun Dai
- Haibo Wang
- Jun Feng
- Yayun Qian
- Lin Yang
- Shiyu Guo
- Tadashi Hisamitsu
- Yanqing Liu
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Affiliations: Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western Medicine, School of Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225009, P.R. China, Department of Physiology, Showa University, Tokyo 142‑8555, Japan
Published online on: November 21, 2017 https://doi.org/10.3892/ol.2017.7459
Pages: 1591-1599
Copyright: © Jin et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License.

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Abstract

Recently, Celastrus orbiculatus ethyl acetate extracts (COE) have been investigated for their anticancer effects on digestive tract tumors. However, the therapeutic effects of COE on esophageal squamous carcinoma cells (ESCC) have not been investigated. In the present study, the effects of COE on the cell cycle and apoptosis of ESCCs were assessed in vitro, and it was revealed that COE treatment triggered G0/G1 cell cycle arrest, and induced DNA damage and apoptosis in a dose‑dependent manner in ESCC. Activation of the phosphatidylinositol 3‑kinase/protein kinase‑B/mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway was also suppressed by COE. Additionally, the combined treatment with COE and rapamycin (an mTOR inhibitor) acted synergistically in ECA‑109 cells compared with the treatment with COE or rapamycin alone. These findings extend the understanding of the action of COE and suggest that COE has potential as a treatment option for ESCC as a single treatment or in combination.

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