JNK pathway and relative transcriptional factor were involved in ginsenoside Rh2-mediated G1 growth arrest and apoptosis in human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells.

Ginsenoside Rh2 has been shown to have an anti-tumor effect on a wide range of cancers. A previous study has shown that ginsenoside Rh2 can inhibit the proliferation of the human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cell line in a dose-dependent manner by activating caspase-8/3 activity to promote apoptosis. However, the association of the JNK signaling pathways and transcription factors with ginsenoside Rh2 in the suppression of non-small cell lung cancer has not yet been reported. In this study, we found that ginsenoside Rh2 can activate the JNK/MAPKs signaling pathway and increase the phosphorylation and transcriptional activity of the transcription factors AP-1 and ATF2. Ginsenoside Rh2 also reduced the expression of transcription factors E2F1 and c-Myc. Furthermore, ginsenoside Rh2 affected the expression levels of cyclin D1 and the CDK4 protein, which are key regulatory factors of the G1/S cyclin-dependent kinase. The anti-proliferative and induced apoptotic effects of ginsenoside Rh2 on A549 cell provide evidence to support the application of traditional Chinese medicine to lung cancer treatment.