Erianin induces cell apoptosis through ERK pathway in human nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is one of the most common cancers in areas of Southeast Asia, such as Taiwan, and North Africa. The treatments of NPC, including radiotherapy and chemotherapy, were effective, but they also caused some severe side effects. Erianin, a natural product derived from Dendrobium, was proved to have anti-cancer effect in hepatoma, melanoma, non-small-cell lung carcinoma, myelogenous leukemia, breast cancer, and osteosarcoma.

According to previous research, we hypothesized that erianin inhibits cancer cell growth through apoptotic mechanisms. This study aimed to determine whether Erianin has an anti-NPC effect and what mechanisms were involved.

The result showed that erianin significantly increased activation of apoptosis in NPC cell lines (NPC-039 and NPC-BM) and arrest the cell cycle obviously through mitochondrial membrane alternation, death receptors activation, and caspase-3, -8, -9 activation. Phosphorylated ERK1/2 was also decreased in erianin-treated NPC cell with dose-dependent manner, and the result was thought to promote apoptosis. Furthermore, the increased rate of apoptotic cells with erianin plus it's inhibitors (U) was also revealed in this study.

In conclusion, this is the first research to identify the anti-NPC effect of erianin via the apoptosis mechanism. Erianin was a promising natural agent against nasopharyngeal carcinoma.