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01-07-2016 | Original Article

Neferine induces autophagy of human ovarian cancer cells via p38 MAPK/ JNK activation

Authors: Limei Xu, Xiyu Zhang, Yinuo Li, Shuhua Lu, Shan Lu, Jieyin Li, Yuqiong Wang, Xiaoxue Tian, Jian-jun Wei, Changshun Shao, Zhaojian Liu

Published in: Tumor Biology | Issue 7/2016

Abstract

Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecological malignancy. Patients usually have poor prognosis because of late diagnosis, relapse, and chemoresistance. It is pressing to seek novel agent for the treatment of ovarian cancer. Neferine is a bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloid isolated from the embryos of lotus (Nelumbo nucifera). In this study, we investigated the antitumor effect of neferine on ovarian cancer cells. We found that neferine exhibited growth-inhibitory effect on human ovarian cancer cells, whereas showing less cytotoxic to non-malignant fallopian tube epithelial cells. Furthermore, we demonstrated that neferine induced autophagy and inactivated the mTOR pathway. Finally, we found that both p38 MAPK and JNK signaling pathways were activated by neferine treatment and contributed to the induction of autophagy in ovarian cancer cells. In conclusion, our findings showed that neferine induced autophagy of human ovarian cancer cells via p38 MAPK/JNK activation. Neferine may be explored as a promising antitumoral agent in ovarian cancer.

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Title: Neferine induces autophagy of human ovarian cancer cells via p38 MAPK/ JNK activation
Authors: Limei Xu
Xiyu Zhang
Yinuo Li
Shuhua Lu
Shan Lu
Jieyin Li
Yuqiong Wang
Xiaoxue Tian
Jian-jun Wei
Changshun Shao
Zhaojian Liu
Publication date: 01-07-2016
Publisher: Springer Netherlands
Published in: Tumor Biology / Issue 7/2016
Print ISSN: 1010-4283
Electronic ISSN: 1423-0380
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13277-015-4737-8

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