Carnosic acid exhibits antiproliferative and proapoptotic effects in tumoral NCI-H460 and nontumoral IMR-90 lung cells

ABSTRACT

Carnosic acid (CA) is a phenolic diterpene with many important biological activities including antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory properties, and anti-proliferative properties. The aim of the present study was to investigate cytotoxic activity, cell cycle, apoptotic, and molecular effects attributed to CA in non-tumoral IMR-90 (human fetal lung fibroblasts), as well as tumoral NCI-H460 (human non–small-cell lung cancer) cell lines. Cell proliferation was evaluated by Real-Time Cell Analysis system, while apoptosis and cell cycle were assessed using flow cytometry. RT-qPCR was used to estimate the relative expression of genes involved in cell cycle regulation, DNA damage and repair, and apoptosis induction. CA inhibited proliferation of IMR-90 and NCI-H460 cells via cell cycle arrest at G₀/G₁ and G₂/M phases, according to the treatment concentration. The mRNA levels of genes encoding cyclins A2, B1, and B2 were downregulated in response to CA treatment of IMR-90 cells. Apoptosis was induced and proapoptotic gene PUMA was upregulated in both cell lines. mRNA levels of genes ATR, CCND1, CHK1, CHK2, MYC, GADD45A, H2AFX, MTOR, TP53, and BCL2, CASP3 were not markedly changed following CA treatments. Although CA exerted antiproliferative activity against NCI-H460 tumor cells, this phytochemical induced toxic effects in non-tumoral cells, and thus needs to be considered carefully prior to pharmacological use therapeutically.

KEYWORDS:

• Non-tumoral cells
• lung cancer
• PUMA
• cyclins
• cell cycle
• apoptosis

Disclosure statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES), Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnológico (CNPq), Financiadora de Projetos (FINEP), and Fundação Araucária.