Yiqi Yangjing recipe stimulates apoptosis while suppressing the energy metabolism via under-expression of in A549 cells.

BACKGROUND

Lung cancer is a malignant tumor associated with high morbidity and mortality. Yiqi Yangjing recipe (YYR) is a formula of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) that is commonly used for the treatment of lung cancer with good clinical efficacy. The specific anti-cancer mechanism of YYR is still unknown. We need to embark on a more in-depth pharmacological study of YYR to determine the complex compound ingredients, which could be promoted in clinical practice to achieve efficacy in prolonging recurrent metastasis of lung cancer.

METHODS

The cytotoxic effects of YYR on A549 cells were evaluated by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. The -under-expressed and overexpressed A549 cell lines were constructed via PFK15 treatment and transfection, respectively. The effects of YYR on messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein expression were detected by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and western blot. The pro-apoptotic and anti-glycolytic abilities of YYR were measured using flow cytometry assay and hippocampal XF96 extracellular flux analyzer. An tumorigenicity assay was performed on nude mice to confirm the anti-cancer effects of YYR.

RESULTS

YYR has a noticeable cytotoxic activity on A549 cells, with the treatment with both YYR and PFK15 significantly inducing apoptosis. YYR and PFK15 treatment reduced the extracellular acidification rate (ECAR) and oxygen consumption rate (OCR) in A549 cells. Similar to PFK15, YYR can down-regulate expression, and overexpression suppressed the apoptosis, which was reversed by YYR. Animal experiments confirmed that YYR was able to inhibit tumor growth, induce tumor cell apoptosis, and down-regulate in tumor tissues.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrated that YYR promoted lung cancer cell apoptosis and inhibited energy metabolism by targeting . Furthermore, we believe that YYR may be a suitable supplement or alternative drug for lung cancer treatment.