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Dioscorea deltoidea Leaf Extract (DDLE) Targets PI3K/AKT/mTOR Pathway and Inhibits Ovarian Cancer Cell Growth

Ying Jiao1, Ying Xiong2, Lin He1

  • 1Department of Gynecology, The No. 2 Hospital of Baoding, 071000, Baoding, Hebei, China.

Doklady. Biochemistry and Biophysics
|April 25, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Dioscorea deltoidea leaf extract (DDLE) effectively inhibits ovarian cancer cell growth and promotes apoptosis. This natural compound targets the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, offering a potential therapeutic strategy for ovarian cancer.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Pharmacology
  • Phytochemistry

Background:

  • Ovarian cancer presents the highest mortality rate among gynecological malignancies.
  • Exploring novel therapeutic agents from natural sources is crucial for effective ovarian cancer treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the anti-cancer effects of Dioscorea deltoidea leaf extract (DDLE) on ovarian cancer cell lines.
  • To elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying DDLE's inhibitory action on ovarian cancer cells.

Main Methods:

  • In vitro study using OV-90 and CAOV4 ovarian cancer cell lines.
  • Assessment of cell viability, cell cycle progression, protein expression (cyclins, apoptosis markers, PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway components), and apoptosis induction.

Main Results:

  • DDLE significantly reduced ovarian cancer cell viability in a dose-dependent manner.
  • DDLE induced G2-phase arrest and suppressed key cell cycle proteins (cyclin-D1, cyclin B1).
  • DDLE promoted apoptosis by upregulating Fas, FasL, cleaved caspase-3, and Bax, while downregulating p-mTOR, p-AKT, and p-PI3K.

Conclusions:

  • DDLE exhibits potent anti-ovarian cancer activity by inhibiting cell proliferation and inducing apoptosis.
  • The mechanism involves the targeted suppression of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway.
  • DDLE represents a promising natural compound for further development as an ovarian cancer therapeutic.
Keywords:
Dioscorea deltoideicaspaseschemotherapeuticgynaecological tumorsovary cancer

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