Shikonin suppresses NEAT1 and Akt signaling in treating paclitaxel-resistant non-small cell of lung cancer

Background The development of paclitaxel-resistance led to the tumor relapse and treatment failure of non-small cell lung cancer. Shikonin has been demonstrated to show anti-cancer activity in many cancer types. The present study aimed to investigate the anti-cancer activity of shikonin in paclitaxel-resistant non-small cell lung cancer treatment. Methods MTT, clonogenic assay, apoptotic cell death analysis, western blot, qRT-PCR, gene knockdown and overexpression, xenograft experiment, immunohistochemistry were performed. Results Shikonin decreased paclitaxel-resistant NSCLC cell viability and inhibited the growth of xenograft tumor. Shikonin induced apoptotic cell death of paclitaxel-resistant NSCLC cell lines and suppressed the level of NEAT1 and Akt signaling of paclitaxel-resistant NSCLC cell lines and xenograft tumors. Either low dose or high dose of shikonin considerably suppressed the cell growth and induced the cell apoptotic death in NEAT1 knockdown A549/PTX cells, and p-Akt expression was decreased. Conclusions Shikonin could be a promising candidate for paclitaxel-resistant NSCLC treatment.