Apoptosis induction by 13-acetoxyrolandrolide through the mitochondrial intrinsic pathway

The aim of this study was to evaluate the mechanisms of cytotoxicity of the sesquiterpene lactone 13-acetoxyrolandrolide, an NF-κB inhibitor that was previously isolated from Rolandra fruticosa. The effects associated with inhibition of the NFκB pathway included dose-dependent inhibition of the NF-κB subunit p65 (RelA) and inhibition of upstream mediators IKKβ and oncogenic K-Ras. The inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 13-acetoxyrolandrolide on K-Ras was 7.7 μM. The downstream effects of the inhibition of NF-κB activation were also investigated in vitro. After 24 h of treatment with 13-acetoxyrolandrolide, the mitochondrial transmembrane potential (ΔΨm) was depolarized in human colon cancer (HT-29) cells. The mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation was also negatively affected and reduced levels of NAD(P)H were detected after 2 h of 13-acetoxyrolandrolide exposure. Furthermore, the expression of the pro-apoptotic protein caspase-3 increased in a concentration-dependent manner. Cell flow cytometry showed that 13-acetoxyrolandrolide induced cell cycle arrest at G1, suggesting that treated cells had undergone caspase-3-mediated apoptosis, suggesting negative effects on cancer cell proliferation. These results suggest that 13-acetoxyrolandrolide inhibits NF-κB and K-Ras as well as promotes cell death mediated through the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway.