Matrine: A novel inhibitor of growth and proliferation of lung adenocarcinoma cells

To investigate the inhibitory effects of matrine on lung cancer and explore the potential mechanism, we studied the in vitro anti-proliferation activity of matrine in human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells. The effects of matrine on the growth and proliferation were evaluated, and the cell cycles and early cell apoptosis were examined after treatment with various concentrations of matrine for 48 and 72 h, respectively. Our data indicated that matrine significantly inhibited the growth of A549 cells through inhibition of cell proliferation, induction of cell apoptosis and blockage of cell cycle in vitro. The inhibitory effects of matrine on growth of A549 cells were in a time- and dose-dependent manner. The fifty percent inhibiting concentration (IC50) of matrine was 0.8 and 0.5 mg/ml at 48 and 72 h, respectively. These results illustrated the anticancer effects of matrine and the potential mechanisms. This study encouraged us to further evaluate the anticancer activity in vivo and clarify the molecular mechanisms responsible for the anticancer effects of matrine.a€€   Key words: Matrine, anticancer, non-small cell lung cancer, cell cycle, apoptosis.