title: Tanshinone IIA Affects Autophagy and Apoptosis of Glioma Cells by Inhibiting Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase/Akt/Mammalian Target of Rapamycin Signaling Pathway.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To test the effects of Tanshinone IIA (Tan IIA) on cell viability, cycle, apoptosis, and autophagy of human glioma cell U251 by regulating phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signal pathway.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tan IIA and PI3K agonist (740 Y-P) were used to treat glioma cells U251. MTT assay was used to assess cell viability and flow cytometry was used to detect cell apoptosis and cell cycle. The expressions of apoptosis-related proteins (Bcl-2 and Bax), autophagy-related proteins (LC3B and Beclin 1) and PI3K/Akt/mTOR signal pathway-associated proteins (p-PI3K, p-Akt and p-mTOR) were evaluated by Western blotting.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Tan IIA decreased the expression of p-PI3K and p-Akt proteins, inhibited cell viability and promoted apoptosis. Meanwhile, the expression of Bax increased, while the expression of Bcl-2 decreased. In addition, Tan IIA promoted autophagy in U251 glioma cells and raised the expression of LC3B and Beclin 1. However, 740 Y-P played a reversed role of Tan IIA in cell viability, cycle, apoptosis, and autophagy of U251 cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Tan IIA could suppress the viability of U251 cells and induce cell apoptosis and autophagy, which might be related to the inhibition of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signal pathway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China.
authors.forename: Lijuan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: Lijuan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: Shudong
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Shudong
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Weiyao
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Weiyao
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.forename: Donghai
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Donghai
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Feier
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Feier
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Tianjiao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: Tianjiao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: Lihua
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Lihua
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Qi
mesh_terms: D045784:Abietanes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D001343:Autophagy / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005910:Glioma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D000081082:Phosphoinositide-3 Kinase Inhibitors; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D045784:Abietanes; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D000081082:Phosphoinositide-3 Kinase Inhibitors; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases; C021751:tanshinone; C546842:MTOR protein, human