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Maslinic acid induces apoptosis in thyroid cancer cells via endoplasmic reticulum stress

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Molecular & Cellular Toxicology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

Thyroid cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors of the endocrine system. Studies have demonstrated that maslinic acid (MA) has a wide range of antitumor activities via multiple cellular pathways. However, the role of MA in thyroid cancer remains poorly investigated.

Objective

To investigate the effects and underlying mechanisms of MA on thyroid cancer cells.

Results

MA inhibited cell viability and increased apoptosis in TPC1 and Cal62 cells. MA promoted apoptosis in TPC1 and Cal62 cells in a dose-dependent manner evidenced by flow cytometry and Western blotting. In addition, treatment with MA increased the expression of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress markers, such as Binding-immunoglobulin protein (BIP) and C/EBP homologous protein 10 (CHOP), in thyroid cancer cells. In cells treated with 4-phenylbutyric acid, an inhibitor of ER stress, MA-induced apoptosis was partially reversed. Finally, treatment with MA inhibited thyroid cancer growth in a TPC1 cell xenograft model.

Conclusion

Results indicated that MA promoted apoptosis in thyroid cancer cells via ER stress. These findings may provide new insights into novel therapeutic strategies for thyroid cancer.

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Data availability

All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this article.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowledge members of the Core Laboratory in Medical Center of Clinical Research of Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine.

Funding

This work was supported by the Scientific Research Project of the Xi'an Health Commission [Grant Number 2023yb07], Natural Science Foundation of Shanghai [Grant Number 22ZR1436500], and the Science and Technology Bureau Foundation Application Project of Changzhou [Grant Number CJ20220118].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Endocrinology, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 280 Mohe Road, Shanghai, 201999, China

    Jing Zhu, Pinghui Tu & Fengling Chen

  2. Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, Jiangsu, China

    Yu Yang

  3. Department of Endocrinology, Xi’an No. 1 Hospital, First Affiliated Hospital of Northwestern University, No. 30 Fenxiang Alley, Xi’an, 710001, Shaanxi Province, China

    Dandan Zhang

Authors
  1. Jing Zhu
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  2. Pinghui Tu
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  3. Yu Yang
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  4. Dandan Zhang
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  5. Fengling Chen
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Contributions

JZ and PT performed the experiments. JZ and YY wrote the paper. FC and DZ designed experiments.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Dandan Zhang or Fengling Chen.

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Conflict of interest

The authors (Jing Zhu, Pinghui Tu, Yu Yang, Dandan Zhang, Fengling Chen) declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

Mouse experiments were conducted in accordance with the guidelines and approval of the respective Animal Research and Ethics Committees of Shanghai Jiao Tong University (approval number: SH9H-2023-TK222-1).

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Zhu, J., Tu, P., Yang, Y. et al. Maslinic acid induces apoptosis in thyroid cancer cells via endoplasmic reticulum stress. Mol. Cell. Toxicol. (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13273-023-00406-6

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