Baicalin Induced Apoptosis of Human Cholangiocarcinoma Cell through Activating AMPK/mTORC1/p70S6K Signaling Pathway

Baicalin (naturally bioactive flavone compound isolated from Scutellaria baicalensis) has been demonstrated to exert strong anticancer activity against various tumor cells. However, the possibility of using baicalin for the treatment of cholangiocarcinoma and its effectiveness remain unstudied. The effect of baicalin on QBC939 cholangiocarcinoma cell culture was studied by assessing cell viability (CCK-8 test) and expression of the key proteins (Western blotting). Baicalin induced apoptosis of QBC939 cells in culture in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The proapoptotic effect was attributed to inhibition of the mTORC1-p70S6K signaling pathway resulting from baicalin-induced AMPK activation. These findings provide a new approach for cholangiocarcinoma treatment and serve as a basis for developing baicalin-based combination cancer therapy strategies.