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Mechanistic insights into Retama raetam's anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic effects in A549 lung cancer cells:

Mohammed Ali Alshehri1, Mohamed Ali Seyed2, Chellasamy Panneerselvam1,3

  • 1Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Tabuk, Tabuk 71491, Saudi Arabia.

Toxicology Research
|September 5, 2024
PubMed

Insights

The tropical desert plant Retama raetam (R. raetam) exhibits anti-cancer properties against non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). R. raetam induces cancer cell death through apoptosis and disruption of key signaling pathways.

Area of Science:

  • Phytochemistry
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cancer Research

Background:

  • Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains a significant global health challenge, driving the search for novel therapeutic agents.
  • Natural products, like the desert plant Retama raetam (R. raetam), offer a promising avenue for discovering new anti-cancer compounds.
  • Understanding the molecular mechanisms of plant-derived compounds is crucial for developing effective cancer treatments.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the anti-cancer mechanisms of Retama raetam (R. raetam) extract on A549 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells.
  • To evaluate the effects of R. raetam on cancer cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion.
  • To elucidate the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and specific molecular pathways (PI3K/Akt) in R. raetam's anti-cancer activity.

Main Methods:

  • Treatment of A549 NSCLC cells with varying doses and incubation times of R. raetam extract.
  • Assessment of cell viability, apoptosis markers (Bax, Bcl-2, DNA fragmentation), mitochondrial membrane potential, and ROS generation.
  • Analysis of cell morphology, migration, invasion, and key signaling pathway proteins (PI3K, Akt, PARP, E-Cadherin).

Main Results:

  • R. raetam demonstrated dose- and time-dependent anti-proliferative and cytotoxic effects on A549 cells.
  • Treatment induced apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, and morphological changes, while inhibiting cell migration and invasion.
  • R. raetam upregulated Bax, downregulated Bcl-2, fragmented DNA, increased ROS and cytochrome c, and inhibited PI3K/Akt signaling pathways.

Conclusions:

  • Retama raetam possesses significant anti-cancer potential against NSCLC by inducing apoptosis and inhibiting cell proliferation and metastasis.
  • The anti-cancer effects are mediated through both ROS-dependent mechanisms (disrupting mitochondrial potential) and ROS-independent pathways (cell cycle arrest via PI3K/Akt inhibition).
  • Bioactive compounds in R. raetam show promise for the development of novel NSCLC therapeutics.
Keywords:
A549 cellsPI3K/AktROSRetama raetamapoptosiscytotoxicity

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