Both mRNA and protein levels of Beclin-1 and LC3-II were significantly decreased in lung cancer tissues which suggested that autophagy may be involved in the pathogenesis of lung cancer.
Using the RNA interference (RNAi) technique the present study investigated the effect of the knockdown of BECLIN1 on the cell growth and proliferation of the A549 human lung cancer cell line.
Our results indicated that paclitaxel resistance of lung cancer is associated with downregulation of miR-17-5p expression which might cause upregulation of BECN1 expression.
Interestingly, luteoloside induced autophagy in lung cancer cells, which was correlated with the formation of autophagic vacuoles, breakdown of p62, and the overexpression of Beclin-1 and LC3-II, but not in a human bronchial epithelial cell line (BEAS-2B).
Taken together, our results provided evidence that IL-7 activates PI3 K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway via Beclin 1 to regulate autophagy in lung cancer cells.
IFN λ could promote the expression of autophagy gene Beclin1 and interfere the expression of autophagy gene Beclin1 with small interfering RNA, thus inhibiting the effect of type III interferon on anti-proliferation and promoting apoptosis of lung cancer cell.