Celastrol stimulates hypoxia-inducible factor-1 activity in tumor cells by initiating the ROS/Akt/p70S6K signaling pathway and enhancing hypoxia-inducible factor-1α protein synthesis.
Celastrol, a tripterine derived from the traditional Chinese medicine plant Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F. ("Thunder of God Vine"), has been reported to have multiple effects, such as anti-inflammation, suppression of tumor angiogenesis, inhibition of tumor growth, induction of apoptosis and protection of cells against human neurodegenerative diseases. However, the mechanisms that underlie these functions are not well defined. In this study, we reported for the first time that Celastrol could induce HIF-1α protein accumulation in multiple cancer cell lines in an oxygen-independent manner and that the enhanced HIF-1α protein entered the nucleus and promoted the transcription of the HIF-1 target genes VEGF and Glut-1. Celastrol did not influence HIF-1α transcription. Instead, Celastrol induced the accumulation of the HIF-1α protein by inducing ROS and activating Akt/p70S6K signaling to promote HIF-1α translation. In addition, we found that the activation of Akt by Celastrol was transient. With increased exposure time, inhibition of Hsp90 chaperone function by Celastrol led to the subsequent depletion of the Akt protein and thus to the suppression of Akt activity. Moreover, in HepG2 cells, the accumulation of HIF-1α increased the expression of BNIP3, which induced autophagy. However, HIF-1α and BNIP3 did not influence the cytotoxicity of Celastrol because the main mechanism by which Celastrol kills cancer cells is through stimulating ROS-mediated JNK activation and inducing apoptosis. Furthermore, our data showed that the dose required for Celastrol to induce HIF-1α protein accumulation and enhance HIF-1α transcriptional activation was below its cytotoxic threshold. A cytotoxic dose of Celastrol for cancer cells did not display cytotoxicity in LO2 normal human liver cells, which indicated that the novel functions of Celastrol in regulating HIF-1 signaling and inducing autophagy might be used in new applications, such as in anti-inflammation and protection of cells against human neurodegenerative diseases. Future studies regarding these applications are required.
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, China Medical University, Shenyang, China.
Xiaoxi
X
Han
Department of Urology, The General Hospital of PLA, Beijing, China.
Shengkun
S
Sun
Department of Cognitive Science, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Cognitive and Mental Health Research Center, Beijing, China.
Ming
M
Zhao
Department of Cognitive Science, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Cognitive and Mental Health Research Center, Beijing, China.
Xiang
X
Cheng
Department of Cognitive Science, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Cognitive and Mental Health Research Center, Beijing, China.
Guozhu
G
Chen
Department of Cognitive Science, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Cognitive and Mental Health Research Center, Beijing, China.
Song
S
Lin
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, China Medical University, Shenyang, China.
Yifu
Y
Guan
Department of Cognitive Science, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Cognitive and Mental Health Research Center, Beijing, China.
Xiaodan
X
Yu
D002460:Cell Line; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000187:drug effects*; D051272:Glucose Transporter Type 1 / Q000235:genetics; D006367:HeLa Cells; D056945:Hep G2 Cells; D006801:Humans; D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit / Q000378:metabolism*; D061986:MCF-7 Cells; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D053978:Pentacyclic Triterpenes; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000378:metabolism; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects*; D014315:Triterpenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000235:genetics
D051272:Glucose Transporter Type 1; C497442:HIF1A protein, human; D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit; D053978:Pentacyclic Triterpenes; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; C495677:SLC2A1 protein, human; D014315:Triterpenes; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; C050414:celastrol