Antitumor activity and mechanism of cucurbitacin B in A549/DDP cells

Cucurbitacin B (CuB) is a class of tetracyclic triterpenoids isolated from Cucurbitaceae with a wide range of anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor activities, mainly used in hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma, while there is relatively little research and application of this drug for lung cancer. In this study, CuB was administered on A549/DDP cells to observe how it affected the cells and their mechanism of action. CuB demonstrated good anti-tumor activity against A549/DDP cells in a dose-dependent manner and caused changes in the hedgehog (Hh) pathway. The results showed that CuB greatly inhibits the proliferation and the invasion of A549/DDP cells, and promoted apoptosis of A549/DDP cells. Meanwhile, it changed the expression of p53-related genes at the RNA and protein level. In conclusion, this experiment provides a theoretical basis for new applications of CuB and new thoughts on the mechanism of its anti-tumor activity, and provides a direction for deep research.