Erianin, a natural product derived from Dendrobium chrysotoxum, has exhibited potential antitumor activity in various
malignancies, including hepatocarcinoma,
melanoma, and promyelocytic
leukemia. Here we explored the effects of
erianin on
osteosarcoma (OS) in vitro and in vivo and further elucidated the underlying molecule mechanisms. In this study, we found that
erianin potently suppressed cell viability in various OS cell lines. Treatment with
erianin induced G2/M-phase arrest, apoptosis, and autophagy in OS cells. Further studies showed that
erianin-induced apoptosis and autophagy was attributed to
reactive oxygen species (ROS), as N-acetyl
cysteine (NAC), an ROS scavenger, attenuated them. Moreover, we found that
erianin induced activation of
c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signal pathway, which was also blocked by NAC. Downregulation of JNK by its specific inhibitor
SP600125 could attenuate apoptosis and autophagy induced by
erianin. Finally,
erianin in vivo markedly reduced the growth with little organ-related toxicity. In conclusion,
erianin induced cell cycle G2/M-phase arrest, apoptosis, and autophagy via the ROS/JNK signaling pathway in human OS. In light of these results,
erianin may be a promising agent for anticancer
therapy against OS.