Paeonol Inhibits Oscc Through The Pi3k/Akt Pathway

Paeonol (Pae), a phenolic acid compound derived from the Moutan Cortex, has multiple pharmacological effects like anti-inflammation, immunomodulation, and anticancer activities. Recent research shows many anticancer traditional Chinese medicine components can induce autophagy. However, it's unknown if Pae induced autophagy impacts the biological features of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Therefore, we carried out a series of investigations to address this question. In vitro experiments demonstrated that Pae exerted inhibitory effects on OSCC proliferation, migration, and invasion. Network pharmacology was used to screen the potential targets of Pae for treating OSCC, and Western blot was further employed to validate the targets and relevant signaling pathways. The results showed that Pae promoted apoptosis and induced autophagy by inhibiting the activation of PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, and complete autophagy flow was observed in HSC-3 and CAL-27 cells. Pae combined with autophagy inhibitor (3-methyladenine) showed synergistic inhibitory effect on OSCC. In conclusion, this study elucidated that Pae can activate autophagy in OSCC cells via the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Combining with an autophagy inhibitor can effectively interfere with the protective autophagy induced by Pae and significantly enhance its anti-tumor effect.