Abstract
Purpose
Melanoma is the most lethal form of skin cancer with the incidence drastically increasing over the past several decades. (S)-(-)-N-[2-(3-Hydroxy-2-oxo-2,3-dihydro-1H-indol-3-yl)-ethyl]-acetamide (SA) was a new compound isolated from the leaves of Selaginella pulvinata, with potent activities to inhibit the proliferation of SK-mel-110 cells. This study was to further investigate effects of SA against melanoma and explore its underlying mechanisms.
Methods
B16 cells were treated with different concentrations of SA. Tumour model was established by injecting B16 cells into C57 mice subcutaneously. MTT and LDH assays were used to detect effects of SA on cell viability. ELISA assay, Annexin V/PI staining and TUNEL assay were used to detect apoptosis. RT-qPCR and western blot were used to detect the expression of genes and proteins, respectively.
Results
SA significantly inhibited the proliferation of melanoma cells and induced the apoptosis as well as autophagy, which may be associated with PI3K/Akt and MAPK signal pathways. Moreover, SA treatment significantly slowed melanoma tumour growth, evidenced by decreased tumour volume and tumour weight.
Conclusions
Our data suggested that SA could be developed as a potential anti-tumour drug against melanoma.
Ethical approval
All animal procedures were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of the First Hospital of Qiqihar.
Author contributions
Study concepts and design: Dawei Wang, Qing Li. Experimental studies: Qing Li, Yuanchun Jiang. Data analysis: Qing Li, Yue Wang, Yuanchun Jiang. Manuscript preparation: Qing Li, Yuanchun Jiang, Dawei Wang.
Disclosure statement
The authors declare that there is no conflict of interests regarding the publication of this paper.