Triptonide facilitates autophagy-mediated apoptosis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma by targeting the AMPK-mTOR-ULK1 axis

Triptonide (TN) is a small-molecule compound initially derived from Tripterygium wilfordii Hook. f used in traditional Chinese medicine. However, its potential antitumor mechanisms are still far from adequately understood. The purpose of this research is to elucidate the antitumor and pharmacological effects of TN on esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Functional assays, such as CCK-8 and colony formation assays, are used to evaluate the effects of TN on KYSE450 and KYSE510 cells. Subsequently, western blot analysis, Hoechst 33258 staining, flow cytometric analysis, autophagic flux detection, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) are used to determine the effects of TN on apoptosis and autophagy in ESCC cells. Additionally, the autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3-MA) and the AMPK inhibitor dorsomorphin (Compound C, CC) are administered to explore the molecular mechanisms and crucial pathways in ESCC cells. Our findings provide strong evidence that TN induces autophagy-dependent apoptosis by targeting the AMPK-mTOR-ULK1 axis in ESCC cells. Collectively, this study sheds light on the anticancer mechanisms of TN in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and suggests that TN is a promising candidate for the antitumor phytomedicine.

• Publication year

  2025

• Venue

  Acta Biochimica et Biophysica Sinica

• Publication date

  2025-04-01

• Fields of study

  Medicine

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.3724/abbs.2025056PMID 40542579PMCID 12616718
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar, PubMed

• No claims are published for this paper.

• No concepts are published for this paper.

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