Cytotropic heterogeneous molecular lipids inhibit the growth of glioma cells by inducing apoptosis and autophagy.

: The cytotropic heterogeneous molecular lipid (CHML) is a mixture of lipids isolated from natural products. CHML is an effective therapy for various kinds of cancers; however, the effect of CHML on glioma cells was seldom reported. Here, we aim to explore the cytotoxicity of CHML on glioma cells, and analyze the possible mechanisms. U251 glioma cells were cultured with CHML at different concentration, and the growth inhibition was measured by CCK-8 assay. Induced apoptosis were detected by flow cytometry, and the induced autophagies were observed by a transmission electron microscope. The key molecules involved in apoptosis and autophagy were detected by quantitative PCR and western-blot. CHML might inhibit the growth of U251 cells and promote apoptosis by up-regulating the expressions of Caspase-8 and Caspase-3; CHML also induced autophagy of U251 cells by promoting the expressions of MAP LC-3 and Beclin-1. CHML can inhibit proliferation of U251 cells by promoting cell apoptosis and inducing autophagy.