Butein induces cell apoptosis and inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2 expression in A549 lung cancer cells

Butein is a flavonoid isolated from the bark of Rhus verniciflua Stokes and the flowers of Butea monosperma, and is known to be a potential therapeutic drug for treating inflammation and cancer. Cyclooxygenase (COX) converts arachidonic acid to prostanoids, and increased expression of its isoform, COX-2, has been observed in lung cancer tissue. The aim of the present study was to investigate expression alteration of COX-2 in A549 lung cancer cells following butein treatment at the mRNA and protein levels by quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blotting, respectively. It was observed that COX-2 mRNA and protein levels were significantly downregulated in the butein treatment group in comparison with the control group (P<0.05). In addition, the effects of butein on proliferation and apoptosis were evaluated. The data demonstrated that butein induces cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis in human lung cancer cells. These results indicated that butein may be a promising candidate drug for lung cancer treatment.