Proteomic Analysis Reveals the Molecular Mechanism of Astragaloside in the Treatment of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer by Inducing Apoptosis

Background Astragaloside III (AS III), a saponin-like metabolite derived from the traditional Chinese medicine Astragali Radix , has been shown to be effective in the treatment of cancer and heart failure, and a variety of digestive disorders. However, its molecular mechanism in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is unknown. Methods Human lung cancer A549 cells and NCI-H460 cells and a normal human lung epithelial cell BEAS-2B were treated with different concentrations of AS III. CCK-8 and EdU staining were used to determine the anti-proliferative effects of AS III in vitro. Quantitative proteomic analysis was performed on A549 cells treated with the indicated concentrations of AS III, and the expression levels of apoptosis-related proteins were examined by Western blotting. Results AS III treatment significantly inhibited proliferation and increased apoptosis in A549 and H460 cells and modulated functional signaling pathways associated with apoptosis and metabolism. At the molecular level, AS III promoted a reduction in the expression of ANXA1 ( p < 0.01), with increased levels of cleaved Caspase 3 and PARP 1. In addition, AS III treatment significantly decreased the LC3-I/LC3-II ratio. The results of experiment in vitro showed that AS III promoted NSCLC apoptosis by down-regulating the phosphorylation levels of P38, JNK, and AKT ( p < 0.01), inhibiting the expression of Bcl-2 ( p < 0.01), and up-regulating the expression of Bax ( p < 0.01). Conclusion These findings provide a mechanism whereby AS III treatment induces apoptosis in NSCLC cells, which may be achieved in part via modulation of the P38, ERK and mTOR signaling pathways.