biostudies-literatureYu FScience Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars of Guangxi ProvinceNatural Science Foundation of Guangxi ProvinceNational Natural Science Foundation of ChinaScience and Technology Planning Project of Nanning Qingxiu District115https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC9524076biostudies-literatureUnknown17(1)<h4>Background</h4>As the increasing mortality and incidence of lung cancer (LC), there is an urgent need to discover novel treatment agent. In this study, we aimed to investigate the anti-LC effects of nitidine chloride (NC), a small molecular compound extracted from Chinese herbal medicine, while detailing its underlying mechanisms.<h4>Methods</h4>Cell viability was detected by MTT assays and five cell death inhibitors, including ferrostatin-1 (Fer-1), Z-VAD-FMK, necrostatin-1 (Nec-1), disulfiram (DSF) and IM-54 were used to explore the type of cell death induced by NC. The microscopic features of NC-induced pyroptosis were assessed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and the pyroptotic-related proteins such as caspase and gasdermin family, were examined by western blot. Network phChinese medicineNitidine chloride induces caspase 3/GSDME-dependent pyroptosis by inhibting PI3K/Akt pathway in lung cancer.PMC9524076No.2021013No.2022GXNSFBA035590No. 81860649No.82160698Yang JTan WChen ZHe JLuo ZYu FDeng ZShen XWang JMo XfalseNitidine chloride induces caspase 3/GSDME-dependent pyroptosis by inhibting PI3K/Akt pathway in lung cancer.<h4>Background</h4>As the increasing mortality and incidence of lung cancer (LC), there is an urgent need to discover novel treatment agent. In this study, we aimed to investigate the anti-LC effects of nitidine chloride (NC), a small molecular compound extracted from Chinese herbal medicine, while detailing its underlying mechanisms.<h4>Methods</h4>Cell viability was detected by MTT assays and five cell death inhibitors, including ferrostatin-1 (Fer-1), Z-VAD-FMK, necrostatin-1 (Nec-1), disulfiram (DSF) and IM-54 were used to explore the type of cell death induced by NC. The microscopic features of NC-induced pyroptosis were assessed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and the pyroptotic-related proteins such as caspase and gasdermin family, were examined by western blot. Network ph2022-01-01T00:00:00Z2022 Sep2025-04-19T06:33:56.996Z2025-02-19T00:24:13.158ZS-EPMC95240763617596510.1186/s13020-022-00671-y