title: Anti-cancer effect of ursolic acid activates apoptosis through ROCK/PTEN mediated mitochondrial translocation of cofilin-1 in prostate cancer.
abstract: Ursolic acid is a type of pentacyclic triterpene compound with multiple pharmacological activities including cancer resistance, protection from liver injury, antisepsis, anti-inflammation and antiviral activity. The present study aimed to investigate the anticancer effect of ursolic acid. Ursolic acid activates cell apoptosis and its pro-apoptotic mechanism remains to be fully elucidated. Cell Counting kit-8 assays, flow cytometric analysis and analysis of caspase-3 and caspase-9 activity were used to estimate the anticancer effect of ursolic acid on DU145 prostate cancer cells. The protein expression of cytochromec, rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK), phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) and cofilin-1 were examined using western blot analysis. In the present study, ursolic acid significantly suppressed cell growth and induced apoptosis, as well as increasing caspase-3 and caspase-9 activities of DU145 cells. Furthermore, cytoplasmic and mitochondrial cytochromecprotein expression was significantly activated and suppressed, respectively, by ursolic acid. Ursolic acid significantly suppressed the ROCK/PTEN signaling pathway and inhibited cofilin-1 protein expression in DU145 cells. The results of the present study indicate that the anticancer effect of ursolic acid activates cell apoptosis through ROCK/PTEN mediated mitochondrial translocation of cofilin-1 in prostate cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong 266003, P.R. China; Department of Urology, Yantai Municipal Laiyang Central Hospital, Laiyang, Shandong 265200, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Wen-Tao
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Gai
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Jining No. 1 People's Hospital, Jining, Shandong 272000, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Da-Peng
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong 266003, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Xin-Sheng
authors.initials: XS
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong 266003, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Pei-Tao
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Wang
keywords: cofilin-1; cytochrome c; prostate cancer; rho-associated protein kinase/phosphatase and tensin homolog; ursolic acid