Tanshinone IIA promotes IL2-mediated SW480 colorectal cancer cell apoptosis by triggering INF2-related mitochondrial fission and activating the Mst1-Hippo pathway

Biomed Pharmacother. 2018 Dec:108:1658-1669. doi: 10.1016/j.biopha.2018.09.170. Epub 2018 Oct 11.

Abstract

IL-2-based therapy is a promising tool to treat colorectal cancer, but drug resistance always occurs in clinical practice. Mitochondrial fission is a novel target to modulate cancer development and progression. The aim of our study is to explore the effect of IL-2 combined with Tan IIA on SW480 colorectal cancer cell apoptosis in vitro and to determine whether IL-2/Tan IIA cotreatment could reduce SW480 cell viability via activating mitochondrial fission. The results indicated that Tan IIA increased IL-2-mediated cell death in SW480 colorectal cancer cells, and this effect was also accompanied with a reduction in cell proliferation. Functional investigations demonstrated that Tan IIA/IL-2 cotreatment enhanced INF2-related mitochondrial fission. Excessive mitochondrial division induced mitochondrial oxidative stress, mitochondrial energy metabolism disorder and mitochondrial apoptosis in SW480 cells. Inhibition of mitochondrial fission attenuated the antitumor effect of Tan IIA/IL-2 cotreatment on SW480 cell apoptosis. Further, we demonstrated that Tan IIA/IL-2 combination therapy controlled INF2-related mitochondrial fission via the Mst1-Hippo pathway. Moreover, Mst1 knockdown abrogated Tan IIA/IL-2-activated mitochondrial fission. Altogether, our results demonstrated that Tan IIA enhances the therapeutic efficiency of IL-2-mediated SW480 colorectal cancer cell apoptosis via promoting INF2-related mitochondrial fission and activating the Mst1-Hippo pathway.

Keywords: IL-2; Mitochondrial fission; Mst1-Hippo pathway; SW480 cell; Tan IIA.

MeSH terms

  • Abietanes / pharmacology*
  • Apoptosis / drug effects*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Colorectal Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Energy Metabolism / drug effects
  • Formins
  • Hepatocyte Growth Factor / metabolism*
  • Hippo Signaling Pathway
  • Humans
  • Interleukin-2 / pharmacology*
  • Microfilament Proteins / metabolism*
  • Mitochondria / drug effects
  • Mitochondria / metabolism
  • Mitochondrial Dynamics / drug effects*
  • Oxidative Stress / drug effects
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / metabolism*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins / metabolism*
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects

Substances

  • Abietanes
  • Formins
  • INF2 protein, human
  • Interleukin-2
  • Microfilament Proteins
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins
  • macrophage stimulating protein
  • tanshinone
  • Hepatocyte Growth Factor
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases