Amentoflavone Induces Autophagy and Modulates p53

Amentoflavone is the main component of Selaginella tamariscina widely known as an oriental traditional medicinal stuff that has been known to have a variety of medicinal effects such as the induction of apoptosis, antimetastasis, and anti-inflammation. However, the effect of amentoflavone on autophagy has not been reported until now. The aim of this study was to investigate whether amentoflavone has a positive effect on the induction of autophagy related to cell aging.

In this experimental study, the aging of young cells was induced by the treatment with insulinlike growth factor-1 (IGF-1) at 50 ng/mL three times every two days. The effect of amentoflavone on the cell viability was evaluated in A549 and WI-38 cells using 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-yl)-2,5- diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The induction of autophagy was detected using autophagy detection kit. The expression of proteins related to autophagy and IGF-1 signaling pathway was examined by western blot analysis and immunofluorescence assay.

First of all, it was found that amentoflavone induces the formation of autophagosome. In addition, it enhanced the expression level of Atg7 and increased the expression levels of Beclin1, Atg3, and LC3 associated with the induction of autophagy in immunofluorescence staining and western blot analyses. Moreover, amentoflavone inhibited the cell aging induced by IGF-1 and hydrogen peroxide. In particular, the levels of p53 and p-p21 proteins were increased in the presence of amentoflavone. Furthermore, amentoflavone increased the level of SIRT1 deacetylating p53.

Our results suggest that amentoflavone could play a positive role in the inhibition of various diseases associated with autophagy and the modulation of p53.