Plumbagin Induces Apoptosis in Human NSCLC Cell Lines through NF-kB Inactivation

Lung cancer is currently the commonest malignancy and the leading cause of cancer-related death in the world (Jemal et al., 2009). Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) represents about 80% of primary lung cancer cases and approximately two thirds of these patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage (Jemal et al., 2009). Although several effective chemotherapeutic agents are administrated, the platinum-based regimen is the standard initial treatment for NSCLC patients (Pujol et al., 2006). However, the efficacy of the regimen for NSCLC has been reported to be only 30-40% based on NSCLC trials involving unselected patients (Ohe et al., 2007). Identifying novel agents with fewer side effects and more effective therapy is of significance for prognosis of patients with NSCLC. Plumbagin (5-hydroxy-2methyl-1, 4-naphthoquinone), a Chinese traditional herb extracted from the root of Plumbago zeylanica L has been reported in the literature to have various pharmacological