Matrine suppresses KRAS-driven pancreatic cancer growth by inhibiting autophagy-mediated energy metabolism.

ABSTRACT: Matrine is a natural compound extracted from the herb Sophora flavescens Ait which is widely used in traditional Chinese medicine for treating various diseases. Recently, matrine was reported to have antitumor effects against a variety of cancers without any obvious side effects; however, the molecular mechanisms of its antiproliferative effects on cancer are unclear. Here, we report that matrine inhibits autophagy-mediated energy metabolism, which is necessary for pancreatic cancer growth. We found that matrine significantly reduces pancreatic cancer growth in vitro and in vivo by insufficiently maintaining mitochondrial metabolic function and energy level. We also found that either pyruvate or α-ketoglutarate supplementation markedly rescues pancreatic cancer cell growth following matrin

SUBMITTER: Cho YR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6026868 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature