Bufalin suppresses colorectal cancer cell growth through promoting autophagy in vivo and in vitro

Specific groups in Asia, including the Chinese, are more susceptible to colorectal cancer (CRC). The best strategy for anticancer drug action is to induce cancer cell apoptosis and autophagy. Bufalin is a potent inducer of apoptosis in some human cancer cell lines, but bufalin has barely been evaluated in colorectal cancer cells as a potent autophagy inducing agent. The aim of this study was to investigate the roles and interactions of bufalin in autophagy and the effects of the drug on human colorectal cancer. We applied bufalin and autophagy inhibitors (CQ and 3-MA) in LoVo cells to investigate their potential anticancer bioactivity under certain concentrations of bufalin to monitor autophagy and cell proliferation in vivo and in vitro. Bufalin induced autophagy of LoVo and inhibited proliferation of LoVo cells. Bufalin inhibited the expression of autophagy-related (ATG) proteins and tumor growth in vivo. Our studies identified that bufalin could potentially be a small molecule inhibitor for cancer therapy.