Anticancer effects of tanshinone IIA in bladder urothelial carcinoma by down-regulating aurora A, HIF-1α and Bcl-2 both in vitro and in vivo.

The mechanisms of the anticancer effect of Tanshinone IIA (Tan IIA) on Bladder urothelial carcinoma (BUC) remain mostly unknown. In this study, BUC T24 cells were treated with Tan IIA at different concentrations and durations. The apoptosis, proliferation and invasion of T24 cells were evaluated using MTT assays, Annexin V-FITC Staining, Hoechst staining and Trans well assay. One group of T-24 cell xenograft mice was treated with Tan IIA, while the other group received normal saline for 25 days. Subsequently, the size of tumors as well as mRNA and protein expression of Aurora A, HIF-1α and Bcl-2 were measured both in vitro and in vivo. Tan IIA induced apoptosis, inhibited proliferation, suppressed invasion of T24 cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner in vitro and attenuated growth in vivo. The decreasing of mRNA and protein expression of Aurora A, HIF-1α and Bcl-2 in T-24 cells treated with Tan IIA were detected in a time- and dose-dependent manner both in vitro and in vivo. The pro-apoptotic, anti-proliferative and anti-invasive effects of Tan IIA on T-24 cells may be derived from inhibition of mRNA and protein expression of Aurora A, HIF-1α and Bcl-2. Tan IIA could potentially serve as a novel potential anti-cancer agent for BUC.