Naphthoquinone-Amino Acids Regulate Cellular Cancer Associated Processes, p53 and miR-34a-5p Expression in Immortal and Tumorigenic Cervical Cell Lines

Cervical cancer is a malignant disease that affects women worldwide and is associated with both high incidence and a high mortality rate. miR-34 is a direct transcriptional-target of p53 and is downregulated in several types of cancers. 1,4-Naphthoquinones (NQs) have anticancer properties and have been used to modulate miR-34 expression. We tested (3-chloro-NQ-2-yl)-alanine (ANQCl), -methionine (MNQCl), -glycine (GNQCl), -phenylalanine (FNQCl), -asparagine (NNQCl), and (1,4-napthoquinon-2-yl)-asparagine (NNQ) in immortal and tumorigenic cells, both HPV-positive and -negative, simulating precancerous and cancerous status to observe the response of the p53-miR-34 system, migration and invasion. A dose–response was achieved to determine the IC50 of the compounds in SiHa, CaLo, C33-A and HaCaT cells. HaCaT cell migration inhibition was more potent than in SiHa, CaLo, and C33-A cells, while invasion hindrance was more evident in the tumorigenic SiHa, CaLo and C33-A. NNQCl, GNQCl, ANQCl and FNQCl compounds induced p53 overexpression in SiHa and CaLo cells. Compound ANQCl in SiHa and FNQCl in CaLo induced miR-34a overexpression, probably via p53. Migration and invasion of most compounds decreased independently of p53-miR-34. NQ-amino acids exert effect on cell proliferation, migration and invasion in cervical cancer cells, suggesting their potential use in the field of cancer treatment.