Cryptotanshinone Induces Apoptosis and Autophagic Cell Death in Prostate Cancer Cells

Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers and one of the leading causes of cancer-related death among men of all races. Complementary and alternative medicine is also used in the treatment of prostate cancer, thus, screening of natural products represents a promising strategy to develop potential anticancer drugs for prostate treatment. Cryptotanshinone, one of the major tanshinones isolated form Danshen, has been reported to inhibit cell proliferation and to induce cell death in various cancer cell lines, including those of colon, cervical, breast, etc. This study aims to explore the cytotoxicity of cryptotanshinone on human prostate cancer cell lines PC3 and DU145 as well as the underlying mechanisms of action. Our results demonstrate the selective cytotoxicity of cryptotanshinone in prostate cancer cells PC3 (IC50 = 15.85 μM) and DU145 (IC50 = 7.59 μM) as well as the underlying mechanisms of action, in particular the activation of both apoptosis and autophagic cell death. These findings suggested that cryptotanshinone is worthy to be further studied for its anticancer potential against prostate cancer.