Modulation of Autophagy by Ursolic and Betulinic Acids: Distinct Cytotoxic and Membrane-Disruption in Malignant and Nonmalignant Cells.

ABSTRACT: Autophagy is a critical adaptive mechanism in tumor cells that promotes survival under stress, but when dysregulated, it may trigger programmed cell death. The pentacyclic triterpenoids betulinic acid (BA) and ursolic acid (UA) are structurally related compounds that modulate autophagy; however, comparative insights into their effects on nonmalignant and malignant cells, as well as model membranes, remain limited. Here, we investigated the distinct cellular outcomes induced by UA and BA in nonmalignant keratinocytes (HaCaT) and malignant cell lines (A549, HeLa, MCF7, MES-SA, PC3, SKMEL-25/28), as well as their interactions with mitochondrial membrane mimetics. At 20 μM, BA reduced HaCaT proliferation by 70%, while UA achieved only 30% inhibition. BA induced pronounced mitochondrial dysfunc

SUBMITTER: Martins WK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12519935 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature