ABSTRACT
Objective: To study the effects of celastrol on the proliferation, apoptosis and migration of human Glioma U87 cells and investigate its preliminary action mechanism. Methods: MTT assay were used to evaluate the effects of celastrol on U87 cells proliferation, and flow cytometry were performed to detect U87 cells apoptosis and mitochondrial membrane potential. Expression of apoptosis related proteins in mitochondria pathway were detected by western blotting. Transwell migration assay and wound healing assay were used to study the migration ability of U87 cells. Results: After treatment with different concentrations of celastrol, the proliferation of U87 cells was significantly inhibited. The flow cytometry assay showed that celastrol decreased the mitochondrial membrane potential and induced the apoptosis of U87 cells. The mechanism of apoptosis showed that celastrol could significantly regulate the expression levels of Bcl-2, Bax, cytochrome C, caspase-9, and caspase-3 in mitochondria pathway. Additionally, celastrol significantly inhibited the migration of U87 cells. Conclusion: Celastrol significantly inhibited the proliferation and migration, and induced apoptosis of U87 cells, which may be mediated by the regulation of mitochondrial pathway related apoptosis proteins.