Astragaloside IV inhibits human colorectal cancer cell growth

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignancies worldwide. However, therapies against CRC have not been completely effective. Astragaloside IV (AS-IV) has shown anti-tumorigenic properties in certain cancers, but its role in CRC remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the therapeutic effect of AS-IV in CRC and explored its underlying mechanism. The results showed that AS-IV dose-dependently inhibited the proliferation of CRC cells and suppressed tumor growth in CRC xenograft mouse models. In addition, AS-IV promoted cell cycle arrest in the G0 phase, associated with increased expression of p21. Furthermore, flow cytometry demonstrated that AS-IV promoted apoptosis of CRC cells in a dose-dependent manner. AS-IV induced caspase-dependent apoptosis, which involved the increased release of cytochrome c and Omi from the mitochondria into the cytoplasm and the up-regulation of Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, as well as the activation of PARP and caspase cascade (caspase-3 and -9). Taken together, our study has identified a novel function of AS-IV and provided a molecular basis for AS-IV's potential applications in the treatment of CRC and other cancers.