Anticancer and antimetastatic activities of renieramyein M, a marine tetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloid, in human non-small cell lung cancer cells

Background: Renieramycin M, has been shown to exhibit promising anticancer activity against some cancer cell lines; however, the underlying mechanism remains unknown. Materials and Methods: Renieramycin M was isolated from the blue sponge Xestospongia sp. Anticancer and antimetastatic activities of renieramycin M were investigated in human non-small cell lung cancer cells. Results: Renieramycin M treatment caused p53 activation, which subsequently down-regulated anti-apoptotic MCL-1 and BCL-2 proteins, while the level of pro-apoptotic BAX protein was not altered. The subtoxic concentrations of renieramycin M significantly decreased invasion and migration abilities of cancer cells. In addition, this compound showed a strong inhibitory effect on anchorage-independent growth of the cells. Conclusion: These results reveal that renieramycin M induced lung cancer cells apoptosis through p53-dependent pathway and the compound may inhibit progression and metastasis of lung cancer cells.