C6-Ceramide Induces Apoptosis in Lung Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer and Suppresses Brain Metastasis by Downregulating The PI3K/AKT/mTOR Signaling Pathway
Abstract Background: The membrane lipid ceramide plays important roles in regulating tumor growth, chemotherapy drug resistance, and apoptosis. However, the mechanisms through which ceramide induces apoptosis are still unclear. In this study, we explored the biological functions and underlying mechanism of C6-ceramide in brain metastasis (BM) arising from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).Methods: The effects of C6-ceramide on cell apoptosis were studied by flow cytometry. Cell Counting Kit-8 assays, wound-healing assays, and flow cytometry were performed to investigate the biological functions of C6-ceramide. An in vitro blood-brain barrier (BBB) model was constructed, and its effectiveness and availability were tested by evaluating horse radish peroxidase activity and junction-related protein expression. The underlying signaling pathways of C6-ceramide were detected by western blotting, and further verification was performed using pathway inhibitors. RNA sequencing was used to confirm the involvement of C6-ceramide and associated pathways in BM arising from NSCLC.Results: C6-ceramide induced apoptosis in NSCLC cells, and the optimal working concentration of C6-ceramide was 50 μM. C6-ceramide not only suppressed cell proliferation and migration but also arrested cells at the G1/S transition. An in vitro BBB model constructed using human umbilical vein endothelial cells and human astrocytes cells showed the lowest permeability and the strongest tight junction connections when cells were cocultured for 72 h. Moreover, C6-ceramide suppressed the passage of cells through the BBB model. C6-ceramide at least partially influenced NSCLC biological functions by downregulating the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway, which was further confirmed by rescue assays and RNA sequencing. Conclusions: C6-ceramide functioned as a tumor suppressor by inducing NSCLC cell apoptosis and BM through the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signal pathway. Thus, this pathway may serve as a novel potential therapeutic target for patients with BM arising from NSCLC.