Isoaaptamine increases ROS levels causing autophagy and mitochondria-mediated apoptosis in glioblastoma multiforme cells

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a common central nervous system disease with a poor prognosis; its five-year survival rate is <5 %, and its median survival of 15 months. Current treatment includes chemotherapy with temozolomide, which is ineffective against GBM, suggesting an urgent need to develop novel therapies. This study evaluated isoaaptamine and aaptamine in the GBM cell lines for cell viability; GBM 8401, U87 MG, U138 MG, and T98G. Our findings showed that isoaaptamine was more potent than its iso-form aaptamine in these four cell lines, and GBM 8401 was most sensitive to isoaaptamine. The study in GBM 8401 cells showed that apoptosis was induced by isoaaptamine with increased cleaved caspase 3 and poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP). Moreover, isoaaptamine enhanced oxidative stress by increasing the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), inhibiting mitochondrial and cellular superoxidase dismutases (SOD1&2), peroxidase and an anti-apoptotic protein (Bcl-2), and disrupting mitochondrial membrane potential. In addition, the oxygen consumption rates and activities of mitochondrial complexes I–V were significantly reduced. Mitochondrial dynamics were prone to fission instead of fusion after isoaaptamine treatment, and ATP synthesis was ablated. Also, autophagy-related acidic organelle vesicles were formed, indicating autophagy was triggered. Overall, isoaaptamine-induced ROS overproduction in mitochondria could cause mitochondrial dysfunction, apoptosis, and autophagy in the GBM cells.