Open Access

Metformin induces apoptosis and inhibits migration by activating the AMPK/p53 axis and suppressing PI3K/AKT signaling in human cervical cancer cells

  • Authors:
    • Ya-Hui Chen
    • Shun-Fa Yang
    • Chueh-Ko Yang
    • Horng-Der Tsai
    • Tze-Ho Chen
    • Ming-Chih Chou
    • Yi-Hsuan Hsiao
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: November 24, 2020     https://doi.org/10.3892/mmr.2020.11725
  • Article Number: 88
  • Copyright: © Chen et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License.

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Abstract

Human cervical cancer is the fourth most common malignancy among women worldwide, and it is expected to result in 460,000 deaths per year by 2040. Moreover, patients with cervical cancer often display drug resistance and severe side effects; therefore, the development of effective novel chemotherapeutic agents is important. In the present study, the effects of metformin, a first‑line therapeutic drug for type 2 diabetes mellitus, were evaluated in cervical cancer. Compared with the control group, metformin significantly inhibited cell viability and migration, and induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in human cervical cancer cell lines (CaSki and HeLa). Following metformin treatment, the protein expression levels of p‑AMP‑activated protein kinase (p‑AMPK), which promotes cell death, and the tumor suppressor protein p‑p53 were remarkably upregulated in CaSki and C33A cells compared with the control group. Furthermore, compared with the control group, metformin significantly suppressed the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway in CaSki, C33A and HeLa cells. Compound C (an AMPK inhibitor) significantly reversed the effects of metformin on CaSki, C33A and HeLa cell viability, and AMPK and p53 phosphorylation. The results of the present study suggested that metformin induced AMPK‑mediated apoptosis, thus metformin may serve as a chemotherapeutic agent for human cervical cancer.
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January-2021
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Spandidos Publications style
Chen Y, Yang S, Yang C, Tsai H, Chen T, Chou M and Hsiao Y: Metformin induces apoptosis and inhibits migration by activating the AMPK/p53 axis and suppressing PI3K/AKT signaling in human cervical cancer cells. Mol Med Rep 23: 88, 2021
APA
Chen, Y., Yang, S., Yang, C., Tsai, H., Chen, T., Chou, M., & Hsiao, Y. (2021). Metformin induces apoptosis and inhibits migration by activating the AMPK/p53 axis and suppressing PI3K/AKT signaling in human cervical cancer cells. Molecular Medicine Reports, 23, 88. https://doi.org/10.3892/mmr.2020.11725
MLA
Chen, Y., Yang, S., Yang, C., Tsai, H., Chen, T., Chou, M., Hsiao, Y."Metformin induces apoptosis and inhibits migration by activating the AMPK/p53 axis and suppressing PI3K/AKT signaling in human cervical cancer cells". Molecular Medicine Reports 23.1 (2021): 88.
Chicago
Chen, Y., Yang, S., Yang, C., Tsai, H., Chen, T., Chou, M., Hsiao, Y."Metformin induces apoptosis and inhibits migration by activating the AMPK/p53 axis and suppressing PI3K/AKT signaling in human cervical cancer cells". Molecular Medicine Reports 23, no. 1 (2021): 88. https://doi.org/10.3892/mmr.2020.11725