Effect of pterostilbene on glioma cells and related mechanisms
Liang Yu1, Zhendong Zhong2, Hongbin Sun1
1Department of Neurology, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital Sichuan, Chengdu, China.
Abstract:
Neuroglioma is the most common primary malignant tumor in neurosurgery. Due to unfavorable life quality of patients, the treatment of glioma is a major challenge in clinics. The search for effect treatment drugs thus benefits patient prognosis. As one derivative of resveratrol, pterostilbene has a wide spectrum of pharmaceutical functions, especially with the anti-tumor effects. This study thus investigated the effect of pterostilbene on neuroglioma and related mechanisms. U87 glioma cell line was divided into control, normal culture and different dosages of pterostilbene groups, which received 5 mM or 10 mM pterostilbene for 48 h. MTT assay was used to detect U87 cell proliferation, while invasion assay was employed to test the effect of pterostilbene on cell invasion, followed by flow cytometry assay for analyzing U87 cell apoptosis. Real-time PCR was used to test mRNA expression of Bcl-2 and Bax in glioma cells under the effect of pterostilbene, while Western blotting was used to detect alternation of Bcl-2 and Bax protein levels. Pterostilbene significantly inhibited proliferation and invasion abilities of glioma cells compared to those in control group (P<0.05). It can also enhance cell apoptosis, decrease mRNA and protein of Bcl-2 expression, and increase mRNA and protein expressions of Bax (P<0.05 compared to control group) in a dose-dependent manner. Pterostilbene can facilitate apoptosis of glioma cells, and inhibit their proliferation and invasion via mediating apoptotic/anti-apoptotic homeostasis.
Insights
Pterostilbene effectively inhibits neuroglioma cell proliferation and invasion. This resveratrol derivative promotes apoptosis by modulating Bcl-2 and Bax expression, offering a promising therapeutic avenue for glioma treatment.
Area of Science:
- Neuro-oncology
- Pharmacology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Glioma is a prevalent primary malignant brain tumor, posing significant treatment challenges and impacting patient quality of life.
- Effective therapeutic agents are crucial for improving glioma patient prognosis.
- Pterostilbene, a resveratrol derivative, exhibits potent anti-tumor properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the anti-tumor effects of pterostilbene on neuroglioma cells.
- To elucidate the underlying mechanisms of pterostilbene's action, including its impact on cell proliferation, invasion, and apoptosis.
Main Methods:
- Utilized U87 glioma cell line treated with varying concentrations of pterostilbene (5 mM, 10 mM).
- Assessed cell proliferation using MTT assay.
- Evaluated cell invasion using invasion assays.
- Analyzed apoptosis via flow cytometry.
- Quantified mRNA and protein expression of Bcl-2 and Bax using Real-time PCR and Western blotting, respectively.
Main Results:
- Pterostilbene significantly inhibited glioma cell proliferation and invasion in a dose-dependent manner (P<0.05).
- Enhanced glioma cell apoptosis was observed with pterostilbene treatment.
- Decreased mRNA and protein levels of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 were noted.
- Increased mRNA and protein expressions of the pro-apoptotic protein Bax were observed (P<0.05 compared to control).
Conclusions:
- Pterostilbene demonstrates significant anti-glioma activity by inhibiting proliferation and invasion.
- Pterostilbene facilitates glioma cell apoptosis through modulation of the apoptotic/anti-apoptotic homeostasis, specifically targeting Bcl-2 and Bax.
- Pterostilbene represents a potential therapeutic candidate for neuroglioma treatment.
