Pterostilbene Exerts Anti-Cancer Activity Via Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Activation In Human Lung Adenocarcinoma Cells

Pterostilbene (Pte), an analog of resveratrol, exerts a potent anti-cancer effect. In this study, we investigated the anticancer activity of Pte against human lung adenocarcinoma cells in vitro and explored the role of endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) in this process. Pte treatment resulted in a dose-pendent decrease in the viability of human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells. Additionally, Pte exhibited potent anticancer activity, as evidenced by reduction in intracellular glutathione (GSH) level and increases in the apoptotic index, caspase-3 activity, and reactive oxygen species. Furthermore, Pte treatment increased the expression of ERS-related molecules (p-PERK, ATF6, GRP78, and CHOP). These data indicate that Pte is a potential inhibitor of lung adenocarcinoma cell growth by targeting ERS signaling and suggest that the activation of ERS signaling may represent a novel therapeutic intervention for lung adenocarcinoma.