Carnosic Acid Induces Antiproliferation and Anti-Metastatic Property of Esophageal Cancer Cells via MAPK Signaling Pathways

Sicong Jiang; Yinda Qiu; Zhaozhen Wang; Yulong Ji; Xiaofang Zhang; Xiaosong Yan; Zhiqiang Zhan

doi:10.1155/2021/4451533

Carnosic Acid Induces Antiproliferation and Anti-Metastatic Property of Esophageal Cancer Cells via MAPK Signaling Pathways

J Oncol. 2021 Nov 16:2021:4451533. doi: 10.1155/2021/4451533. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Sicong Jiang¹, Yinda Qiu², Zhaozhen Wang³, Yulong Ji⁴, Xiaofang Zhang⁵, Xiaosong Yan⁶, Zhiqiang Zhan⁷

Affiliations

¹ Division of Thoracic and Endocrine Surgery, University Hospitals and University of Geneva, Geneva 41211, Switzerland.
² School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China.
³ Department of Clinical Medicine, Jiangxi Health Vocational College of China, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China.
⁴ Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Translational Cancer Research, Jiangxi Cancer Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China.
⁵ Department of Pathology, Jiangxi Cancer Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China.
⁶ Department of Thoracic Surgery, Jiangxi Cancer Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China.
⁷ Department of Oncology, Jiangxi Pingxiang People's Hospital, Pingxiang, Jiangxi, China.

Abstract

Background: Carnosic acid (CA) is a polyphenolic diterpene extracted from rosemary. Reports have shown that CA possesses anticancer activity. However, whether CA inhibits esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, an aggressive type of esophageal cancer, remains untested.

Methods: The effects of CA on cell survival, migration, and apoptosis were evaluated by a combination of MTT, colony formation assay, flow cytometry, and Transwell assay. The potential signaling pathways involved were investigated via Western blot assay.

Results: CA dose-dependently inhibited cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and colony formation. Mechanistically, CA arrested the cell cycle at G2/M phase, promoted cell apoptosis, induced DNA damage, and inhibited the MAPK signaling pathways.

Conclusion: Our results suggest that CA is a potential anticancer drug for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.