title: YL4073 is a potent autophagy-stimulating antitumor agent in an in vivo model of Lewis lung carcinoma.
abstract: Cancer cells activate autophagy in response to anticancer therapies. Autophagy induction is a promising therapeutic approach to treat cancer. In a previous study, YL4073 inhibited the growth of liver cancer and induced liver cancer cell apoptosis. Here, we demonstrated the anticancer activity and specific mechanisms of YL4073 in Lewis lung carcinoma LL/2 cells. Our results show that YL4073-induced autophagy was followed by apoptotic cell death. The anticancer and autophagy stimulating efficacy was confirmed by several factors, including the appearance of autophagic vacuoles, formation of acidic vesicular organelles, recruitment of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 II (LC3-II) to the autophagosomes, conversion and cleavage of LC3-I to LC3-II, upregulation of Beclin 1 expression, and formation of the Atg12-Atg5 conjugate in LL/2 cells after YL4073 treatment for 24 or 48 h. Furthermore, P53 activation and p-histone H3 phosphorylation occurred after cell exposure to YL4073 for 48 h, suggesting that cell apoptosis had occurred. Pharmacological inhibition of autophagy using 3-methyladenine increased cell apoptosis. Molecular level studies revealed that YL4073 inhibited survival signalling by blocking the activation of Akt and mTOR phosphorylation and reduced the expression of p-mTOR downstream targets for phosphorylation, including p70S6K, p-TSC, p-MAPK, and p-AMPK. This suggests that the Akt/mTOR/p70S6K and TSC/MAPK/AMPK pathways are involved in the effects of YL4073 treatment in LL/2 cells. In addition, YL4073 significantly inhibited LL/2 tumor growth and induced apoptosis in vivo. These data suggest that YL4073 has a significant anticancer effect, with a pathway-specific mechanism of autophagy both in vitro and in vivo.
authors: School of Basic Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230032, P.R. China.
authors: You-Zhi
authors: YZ
authors: Xu
authors: Department of Respiratory Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230022, P.R. China.
authors: Yong-Huai
authors: YH
authors: Li
authors: School of Basic Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230032, P.R. China.
authors: Wen-Jie
authors: WJ
authors: Lu
authors: Department of Electrocardiogram, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230022, P.R. China.
authors: Kun
authors: K
authors: Lu
authors: State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China.
authors: Chun-Ting
authors: CT
authors: Wang
authors: State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China.
authors: Yan
authors: Y
authors: Li
authors: State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China.
authors: Hong-Jun
authors: HJ
authors: Lin
authors: School of Basic Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230032, P.R. China.
authors: Li-Xin
authors: LX
authors: Kan
authors: State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China.
authors: Sheng-Yong
authors: SY
authors: Yang
authors: School of Basic Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230032, P.R. China.
authors: Si-Ying
authors: SY
authors: Wang
authors: State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China.
authors: Ying-Lan
authors: YL
authors: Zhao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis; D001343:Autophagy / Q000187:drug effects*; D018827:Carcinoma, Lewis Lung / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D041681:NIH 3T3 Cells; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D054852:Small Molecule Libraries / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D054852:Small Molecule Libraries; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases