BackgroundColorectal carcinoma (CRC) is one of the most frequently diagnosed malignancies. Cucurbitacin B (CuB) is a natural compound isolated from herbs and shows anticancer activity in several cancers.Material/MethodsHere, we analyzed the effects of different CuB concentrations on the proliferative and invasive behaviors of CRC cells using MTT, clonogenic assay, Transwell invasion, and wound healing assays. Flow cytometry was performed to measure the apoptotic effects of CuB on CRC cells. Western blot and real-time PCR were used to investigate the expression of apoptosis and Hippo-YAP signaling pathway proteins.ResultsCuB inhibited the proliferation and invasion of CRC cells while promoting apoptosis. In addition, the Western blot and real-time PCR results indicated that CuB suppressed YAP expression and its downstream target genes Cyr 61 and c-Myc in CRC cells. To assess the underlying mechanism, we investigated the upstream regulating factor LATS1, and the results revealed that CuB upregulated LATS1 expression in CRC cells.ConclusionsIn conclusion, our findings uncovered a novel therapeutic mechanism of CuB and suggest that there is therapeutic potential and feasibility in developing novel YAP inhibitors for cancer treatment.

Polyphyllin I (PPI), a bioactive constituent extracted from traditional medicinal herbs, is cytotoxic to several cancer types. However, whether PPI can be used to treat t(8;21) acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells requires further investigation. Here, we determined the inhibitory effects of PPI on t(8;21) AML cells by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and the trypan blue dye exclusion assay. DAPI staining and Wright-Giemsa staining were performed to check for apoptosis. Detection of apoptotic protein and AML1-ETO signaling protein expression were conducted by Western blot analysis. Our results suggested that PPI decreased growth and induced apoptosis in a dosage-dependent manner in the t(8;21) AML cell line Kasumi-1. PPI significantly downregulated AML1-ETO expression in a dosage- and time-dependent manner. PPI also upregulated P21 and downregulated survivin expression by reducing AML1-ETO. Mechanistically, PPI significantly reduced the expression of C-KIT, another therapeutic target for AML with t(8;21), followed by inhibition of Akt signaling. These results suggest that PPI can suppress growth and induce apoptosis of t(8;21) AML by suppressing the AML1-ETO and C-KIT/Akt signaling pathways. Therefore, PPI may be an anticancer therapeutic to treat t(8;21) AML.

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