Gamabufotalin, a bufadienolide compound from toad venom, suppresses COX-2 expression through targeting IKKβ/NF-κB signaling pathway in lung cancer cells

Background: Gamabufotalin (CS-6), a major bufadienolide of Chansu, has been used for Cancer therapy due to its desirable metabolic stability and less adverse effect. However, the underlying mechanism of CS-6 involved in anti-tumor activity remains poorly understood.

Methods: The biological functions of gamabufotalin (CS-6) were investigated by migration, colony formation and Apoptosis assays in NSCLC cells. The nuclear localization and interaction between transcriptional co-activator p300 and NF-κB p50/p65 and their binding to COX-2 promoter were analyzed after treatment with CS-6. Molecular docking study was used to simulate the interaction of CS-6 with IKKβ. The in vivo anti-tumor efficacy of CS-6 was also analyzed in xenografts nude mice. Western blot was used to detect the protein expression level.

Results: Gamabufotalin (CS-6) strongly suppressed COX-2 expression by inhibiting the phosphorylation of IKKβ via targeting the ATP-binding site, thereby abrogating NF-κB binding and p300 recruitment to COX-2 promoter. In addition, CS-6 induced Apoptosis by activating the cytochrome c and caspase-dependent apoptotic pathway. Moreover, CS-6 markedly down-regulated the protein levels of COX-2 and phosphorylated p65 NF-κB in tumor tissues of the xenograft mice, and inhibited tumor weight and size.

Conclusions: Our study provides pharmacological evidence that CS-6 exhibits potential use in the treatment of COX-2-mediated diseases such as lung Cancer.