Licochalcone a inhibits PI3K/AKt/mTOR signaling pathway activation and promotes autophagy in breast cancer cells

Abstract

Previous studies have demonstrated that Licochalcone A possesses anti‑inflammatory, anticancer, anti‑bacterial, anti‑malarial and anti‑parasitic activities. In the present study the potential anticancer effects of Licochalcone A on MCF‑7 cells were investigated. Licochalcone A significantly decreased cell viability and promoted autophagy and apoptosis, as demonstrated by an MTT assay, acridine orange staining and Annexin V‑fluorescein isothiocyanate staining, respectively. Western blot analyses demonstrated that Licochalcone A treatment activated the LC3‑II signaling pathway while suppressing the phosphoinositide 3‑kinase (PI3K)/RAC‑α serine‑threonine‑protein kinase (Akt)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway. In addition, Licochalcone A significantly increased caspase‑3 activity and significantly decreased B‑cell lymphoma‑2 expression. The results from the present study indicate that Licochalcone A inhibits PI3K/Akt/mTOR activation, and promotes autophagy and apoptosis in MCF‑7 cells.