Asiatic acid impedes NSCLC progression by inhibiting COX‐2 and modulating PI3K signaling

Non‐small cell lung cancer comprises up to 85% of lung cancer cases and has a poor prognosis. At present, there are still no effective treatments for this illness. Evidence suggests that the prostaglandin [cyclooxygenase‐2 (COX‐2)] and leukotriene [lipoxygenase‐5 (5‐LOX)] pathways are involved in lung cancer carcinogenesis. Therefore, novel agents that target COX‐2 and 5‐LOX may have therapeutic potential. In the present study, we examined the role of asiatic acid (AA), a triterpenoid saponin, in targeting the protein kinases responsible for lung cancer proliferation and mobility. The experimental data revealed that AA inhibited the growth of lung cancer cells (> 50%) and it significantly impeded the proliferation of lung cancer cells by inhibiting COX‐2, which results in downregulation of the phosphotidyl inositol‐3 kinase/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin signaling pathway, leading to an induction of cytotoxic autophagy‐mediated apoptosis. Mechanistically, the expression of mitogen‐activated protein kinase/extracellular signal‐regulated kinase, hypoxia‐inducible factor‐1 and vascular endothelial growth factor is downregulated by AA, thereby reducing cell mobility and invasion. It also shows negative osmotic fragility on healthy human erythrocytes. It is concluded that AA may be a viable therapeutic drug for non‐small cell lung cancer treatment, which opens new opportunities for synthesizing analogues.