Artesunate restrains the malignant progression of human cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma cells via the suppression of the PI3K/AKT pathway

Abstract

PurposeArtesunate (ART) is recognized for its anticancer activity, but a few studies concentrate on its anti-skin cancer effect. This study emphazied this aspect and preliminarily discussed the impact and mechanism of ART on cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC). MethodsThe viability of HaCaT and CSCC cells treated with ART (0, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, 180, or 210 μmol/L) for 48 h were assessed utilizing cell counting kit-8. Next, the migration, invasion, proliferation, apoptosis, and cell cycle of CSCC cells treated with ART were evaluated by dint of cell function experiments. Then, cell cycle-, apoptosis-, and phosphatidylinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) pathway-related markers were examined via western blot or quantitative real-time PCR. Moreover, the influences of ART and PI3K/AKT agonist IGF-I on CSCC cell biological behaviors were gauged again. ResultsThe suppressive role of ART (30, 60, 90, 120, 150, 180, or 210 μmol/L) was stronger in viability of CSCC cells than in viability of HaCaT cells. ART evidently attenuated the migration, invasion and proliferation, lessened cell numbers at G2/M phase and triggered apoptosis of CSCC cells. At the molecular level, ART regulated cell cycle-, apoptosis-, and PI3K/AKT pathway-related markers in CSCC cells. Moreover, the suppression of ART on CSCC cell malignant phenotypes was reversed by PI3K/AKT agonist IGF-I. ConclusionART restrains the malignant progression of CSCC, which may be intensely related to the PI3K/AKT pathway repression.