Beta-Elemene Reduces the Malignancy of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer by Enhancing C3orf21 Expression

BACKGROUND: Beta-elemene has potent anti-tumor effect, but its anti-tumor mechanism remains unclear. Chromosome 3 open reading frame 21 (C3orf21) acts as a tumor suppressor. This study tested whether the anti-tumor effect of beta-elemene was associated with modulating C3orf21 expression in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The impact of beta-elemene on C3orf21 expression in NSCLC cells was quantified. The stable C3orf21 silencing A549 and over-expressing PC-9 cells were established and their effects on the beta-elemene-attenuated proliferation, wound healing and invasion of NSCLC cells as well as the expression of key regulators and signal events were determined. RESULTS: Beta-elemene significantly up-regulated C3orf21 expression in NSCLC cells. Beta-elemene treatment significantly attenuated the proliferation, wound healing and invasion of NSCLC cells, which were significantly mitigated by C3orf21 silencing, but enhanced by C3orf21 over-expression. Similar patterns of beta-elemene-modulated cyclinD1, c-Myc, COX2, MMP2, MMP9, VEGF, PTEN and Notch1 expression were detected in NSCLC cells. CONCLUSIONS: Such data indicated that beta-elemene treatment attenuated the malignancy of NSCLC cells by up-regulating C3orf21 expression. Our findings may provide new mechanisms underlying the pharmacological action of beta-elemene.