Oleanolic acid inhibits proliferation and invasiveness of Kras-transformed cells via autophagy

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Jia Liu1, Lanhong Zheng2, Leina Ma3

  • 1College of Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266021, China; Institutes of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China.

The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry
|August 31, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Oleanolic acid (OA) triggers autophagy in normal cells, which then suppresses the growth of KRAS-transformed cells. This autophagy induction is key to OA's preventive effects on cancer development.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Cell Biology
  • Cancer Research

Background:

  • Oleanolic acid (OA) exhibits diverse therapeutic effects, but its mechanism against transformed cells remains unclear.
  • Understanding OA's action is crucial for developing novel cancer prevention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the mechanism by which Oleanolic acid (OA) suppresses transformed cells.
  • To investigate the role of autophagy in OA's anti-cancer effects.

Main Methods:

  • Induction of autophagy in normal and KRAS-transformed cells using OA.
  • Assessment of cell proliferation, invasion, and anchorage-independent growth.
  • In vivo tumor xenograft studies in a mouse model.
  • Analysis of the Akt/mTOR/S6K signaling pathway.

Main Results:

  • OA induced autophagy in normal cells without cytotoxicity.
  • OA-induced autophagy inhibited proliferation and invasion of KRAS-transformed cells.
  • Blocking autophagy abolished OA's suppressive effects on transformed cells.
  • OA suppressed tumor growth in a xenograft model by inducing autophagy.
  • OA inhibited Akt/mTOR/S6K signaling to induce autophagy.

Conclusions:

  • Oleanolic acid (OA) treatment induces autophagy in normal cells.
  • This OA-induced autophagy is essential for preventing or delaying the growth of transformed normal cells.
Keywords:
AktAutophagyCancer preventionNatural compoundsOleanolic acid

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