title: Cucurbitacin-B inhibits neuroblastoma cell proliferation through up-regulation of PTEN.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Cucurbitacins belong to a class of highly oxidized tetracyclic triterpenoids. Recent studies suggest that the use of Cucurbitacin could repress cancer cell progression. However, the biological effect of Cucurbitacin-B in neuroblastoma cells remains unexplored.
  
  
  METHODS
  MTT and BrdU (bromodeoxyuridine) incorporation assays were used to determine the anti-proliferation roles of Cucurbitacin-B. Real-time PCR and Western blot assays were used to detect the expression of cell cycle regulators. Small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) were used to silence the expression of PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homolog gene).
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that Cucurbitacin-B inhibited growth and modulated expression of cell-cycle regulators in SHSY5Y cells. At the molecular level, we found that Cucurbitacin-B inhibited AKT signaling activation through up-regulation of PTEN. Indeed, PTEN deficiency using siRNA oligos attenuated the anti-proliferative roles of Cucurbitacin-B.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results provide evidence for a mechanism that may contribute to the antineoplastic effects of Cucurbitacin-B in neuroblastoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neonatology, First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical College, Henan, China. shujunLi01@126.com.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shang
authors.forename: X-X
authors.initials: XX
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: W-W
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.forename: M-L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: L-N
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Mu
authors.forename: S-J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D051059:PTEN Phosphohydrolase / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D014315:Triterpenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D014315:Triterpenes; C041246:cucurbitacin B; D051059:PTEN Phosphohydrolase; C494929:PTEN protein, human