EFFECTS OF ELEMENE ON PROLIFERATION, APOPTOSIS AND AMPK/MTOR SIGNALING PATHWAY OF COLORECTAL CANCER DLD-1 CELLS

Guan Wang¹, Shenghu Miao^2,* 

¹Department of Gastroenterology, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130033, PR China - ²Department of Clinical Laboratory, Wuwei People's Hospital, Wuwei 733000, PR China

Objective: To analyze the effect of elemene on the proliferation, apoptosis, and AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway of colorectal cancer DLD-1 cells. 

Methods: Colorectal cancer DLD-1 cells were cultured in vitro and treated with β-elemene concentrations of 50, 100, 200, and 300 μmol/L. A blank control group was established to detect the proliferation ability of DLD-1 cells by the MTS method. Flow cytometry was used to determine the cell cycle stage, Hoechst 33342 staining experiment was used to analyze apoptosis, and Western blots were used to detect p-AMPK, AMPK, p-mTOR, and mTO protein expression. 

Results: Compared with the blank control group, the β-elemene concentrations of 50, 100, 200, and 300 μmol/L were used to treat DLD cells for 24, 48, and 72 h. As the concentration and duration of action increased, the cell proliferation capacity gradually decreased. Compared with the blank control group, with the gradual increase of β-elemene concentration, the cell content of DLD-1 cells in G0/G1 and S phases decreased significantly, and the cell content in G2/M phase increased significantly. After treatment of DLD cells with 50, 100, 200, and 300 μmol/L β-elemene for 24 hours, the nucleus of the blank control group was regular and uniform, and the nuclear membrane was relatively complete. With increasing β-elemene concentrations, the nuclear cells in each group were fragmented, and the chromatin was concentrated, appearing to be bright and dense. Compared with the blank control group, β-elemene at a concentration of 50, 100, 200, and 300 μmol/L significantly increased the expression level of p-AMPK protein and reduced the expression level of p-mTOR protein; these differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). 

Conclusion: Elemene can significantly inhibit colorectal cancer DLD-1 cell proliferation and induce apoptosis. The associated mechanism may be related to AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway regulation.