Background:

Tanshinone IIA (Tan IIA) is one of the main fat-soluble compositions in the root of red-rooted salvia. Tanshinone IIA may suppress angiogenesis by targeting the protein kinase domains of VEGF/VEGFR2.

The anti-tumor effect of Tanshinone IIA includes inhibiting tumor cell proliferation, disturbing tumor cell cycle, promoting tumor cell apoptosis, and inhibiting tumor cell invasion and transfer. Tanshinone IIA has anti-proliferative effects on A549 cells: the IC50 of Tanshinone IIA after 24, 48 and 72 h are 145.3, 30.95 and 11.49 μM, respectively. The CCK-8 assay is used to evaluate the proliferative activity of A549 cells treated with Tanshinone IIA (2.5-80 μM) for 24, 48 and 72 h, respectively. The CCK-8 results show that Tanshinone IIA can significantly inhibit A549 cell proliferation in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Obvious apoptosis and cell growth inhibition of A549 cells are observed after drug treatment for 48 h (concentrations used are approximately IC50 values: Tanshinone IIA 31 μM on A549). Western blotting finds that 48 h exposures to Tanshinone IIA (31 μM) in A549 cells, downregulates expression of VEGF and VEGFR2 protein in both drug treatment groups vs. vehicle[1]. Tanshinone IIA, one of the most abundant constituents of the root of Salvia miltiorrhiza, protects rat myocardium-derived H9C2 cells against apoptosis. Treatment of H9C2 cells with Tanshinone IIA inhibits angiotensin II-induced apoptosis by downregulating the expression of PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homolog), a tumor suppressor that plays a critical role in apoptosis. Tanshinone IIA inhibits angiotensin II (AngII)-induced apoptosis by downregulating the expression of phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN)[2]. Tanshinone IIA decreases the protein expression of EGFR, and IGFR blocking the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway in gastric carcinoma AGS cells[3].

参考文献:
[1]. Xie J, et al. The antitumor effect of tanshinone IIA on anti-proliferation and decreasing VEGF/VEGFR2 expression on the human non-small cell lung cancer A549 cell line. Acta Pharm Sin B. 2015 Nov;5(6):554-63.
[2]. Zhang Z, et al. Tanshinone IIA inhibits apoptosis in the myocardium by inducing microRNA-152-3p expression and thereby downregulating PTEN. Am J Transl Res. 2016 Jul 15;8(7):3124-32.
[3]. Su CC, et al. Tanshinone IIA decreases the protein expression of EGFR, and IGFR blocking the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway in gastric carcinoma AGS cells both in vitro and in vivo. Oncol Rep. 2016 Aug;36(2):1173-9.