α-Pinene inhibits the growth and induces the apoptosis of cervical cancer cells through regulating miR-34a/Bcl-2 signaling axis

Abstract Purpose α-pinene was a chemical compound which was extracted from pine needles oil, and it exerted effects on various diseases. However, the effect of α-pinene on cervical cancer had not been reported. The goal of this study was to explore the anti-tumor role of α-pinene. Methods Methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) method was used to detect cytotoxicity of α-pinene. Flow cytometry was used to quantify the cell cycle and apoptosis. TUNEL staining was also performed for the revalidation of apoptosis. QRT-PCR and western blot was implemented to detect the expression levels of apoptosis genes and miR-34a-5p. Tumor-bearing nude mouse models was adopted to assess the anti-tumor action of α-pinene in vivo. Results The results displayed α-pinene restrained proliferation of Hela cells in G1 phase and induced Hela cell apoptosis, which was related to up-regulating expressions of Bax, Bid, Caspase-9, Caspase-3, miR-34a-5p and down-regulating the expression of Bcl-2. Afterwards, α-Pinene could regulate miR-34a-5p/Bcl-2 pathway. Furthermore, α-pinene treatment also induced apoptosis in xenografts tumor models. The fluorescence intensity of Bax, Bid, Caspase-9, Caspase-3 increased and fluorescence intensity of Bcl-2 decreased. Conclusions Our research demonstrated α-pinene could restrain the development of cervical cancer growth, and it might be an effective chemical compound for therapy of cervical cancer.