Luteolin exerts an anticancer effect on NCI-H460 human non-small cell lung cancer cells through the induction of Sirt1-mediated apoptosis

Luteolin is a falconoid compound, which exhibits anticancer properties, however, its contribution to Sirt1-mediated apoptosis in human non-small cell lung cancer remains to be elucidated. The present study confirmed that the anticancer effect of luteolin on NCI-H460 cells was through Sirt1-mediated apoptosis. The NCI-H460 cells were treated with different concentrations of luteolin, and a 3-(4,5-dimeth yl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphnyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide assay, cell cycle analysis and annexin-V/fluorescein isothiocyanate and propidium double staining were performed to assess the apoptotic effect of luteolin. Wound healing and Transwell assays were performed to confirm the inhibition of NCI-H460 cell migration. The protein levels of Sirt1 were knocked down in the NCI-H460 cells using a lentivirus to further investigate the role of this protein, and the expression levels of the apoptotic associated proteins, Bad, Bcl-2, Bax, caspase-3 and Sirt1, were measured using western blotting. The results of the present study demonstrated that luteolin exerted an anticancer effect against NCI-H460 cells through Sirt1-mediated apoptosis and the inhibition of cell migration.