Brucine promotes apoptosis in cervical cancer cells (ME-180) via suppression of inflammation and cell proliferation by regulating PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway

Brucine are the main constituents of Strychnos nux-vomica. Earlier reports have determined brucine shows anti-inflammatory, analgesic and excellent anti-tumor drug. Even though its anticervical cancer cells remains not clearly evaluated. So that, we hypothesized the anti-cervical cancer activity of brucine against the cervical (ME-180) cells. Brucine inhibited the inflammation, cell proliferation and promoted rate of apoptotic cell death ad reduced the mitochondrial potential, which is evidenced by respective (AO/EB, Rh-123, and PI) staining. Furthermore ELISA and real time PCR reaction determined that brucine were down regulated inflammatory (TNF-alpha, NF-kB, IL-6 & COX-2) cell proliferation (Cyclin D1) and apoptotic marker Bax, caspase-3, PI3K (phosphoinosital 3 kinase), AKT, mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) and over expression Bcl-2, associated death promoter. These findings were confirmed and finally suggested that brucine inhibited inflammation, cell proliferation and promoted the apoptosis through the down-regulation of PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. Taken together, these data were exhibited brucine as a good therapeutic agents for the prevention of anticancer cervical cancer drugs.