F-01A, an antibiotic, inhibits lung cancer cells proliferation

In an effort to identify novel, small molecules which can affect the proliferation of lung cancer cells, F-01A, a polyether antibiotic isolated from the fermentation broth of Streptomyces was tested.F-01A was tested for its antitumor properties on the lung cancer cell line SPC-A-1, at six doses (0.1, 0.5, 1, 2.5, and 5 μmol·L(-1)), using various cellular assays. Cell viability was measured by the MTT assay, Hochest 33258 was used to study nuclear morphology; DNA ladder and the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential were also evaluated.F-01A induces apoptosis against SPC-A-1 cells in a dose-dependent manner. The IC50 is 0.65 μmol·L(-1), and the inhibition at 5 μmol·L(-1) is 87.89%. Further, JC-1 staining indicates F-01A could induce the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, and the DNA fragment is evident.Mechanistic analysis showed that F-01A induced apoptosis of cancer cells probably in the mitochondrial pathway. The antitumor actions of F-01A involve activation of the apoptotic pathway against SPC-A-1 cells, and it may be valuable for further drug development.