title: Anti-tumor effect of beta-elemene in glioblastoma cells depends on p38 MAPK activation.
abstract: beta-Elemene, a natural plant drug extracted from Curcuma wenyujin, has been used as an antitumor drug for different tumors, including glioblastoma. However, the mechanism of its anti-tumor effect is largely unknown. Here we report that anti-proliferation of glioblastoma cells induced by beta-elemene was dependent on p38 MAPK activation. Treatment of glioblastoma cell lines with beta-elemene, led to phosphorylation of p38 MAPK, cell-cycle arrest in G0/G1 phase and inhibition of proliferation of these cells. Inhibition of p38 MAPK reversed beta-elemene-mediated anti-proliferation effect. Furthermore, the growth of glioblastoma cell-transplanted tumors in nude mice was inhibited by intraperitoneal injection of beta-elemene. Taken together, our findings indicate that activation of p38 MAPK is critical for the anti-proliferation effect of beta-elemene and that p38 MAPK might be a putative pharmacological target for glioblastoma therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, 1st Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.
authors.forename: Yi-Qun
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Xia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: Yi-Chang
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.forename: Chuan-Xin
authors.initials: CX
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Yi-Zheng
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ying-Hui
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000201:enzymology*; D006801:Humans; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D011725:Pyridines / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D023041:Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D007093:Imidazoles; D011725:Pyridines; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; C445979:beta-elemene; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; C093642:SB 203580