Abstract: AIM: To explore the mechanism of L-securinine induced autophagy of human non small cell lung cancer A549 cell autophagy. METHODS: A549 cell lines were cultured in vitro and L-securinine at different concentrations (6.25,12.5,25,50,100,200 μmol/L) was added 24 h after cell lines were transferred. Then the plates were cultured for 24, 36 and 48 h. CCK-8 method was used to detect the antitumor effect of human non small cell lung cancer A549 in vitro. Inverted microscope was used to observe A549 cells treated with L-securinine morphological changes. The A549 cells were treated with different concentrations (0, 20 μmol/L) of L-securinine for 24 h.Then autophagy was analyzed by fluorescence microscope following staining with monodansylcadaverine (MDC). The mRNA levels of Beclin-1 were detected using real-time RT-PCR pre and post-treatment of L-securinine. RESULTS: The generation depression effects of A549 cells cultured in vitro were detected by CCK-8 method (P<0.05), and there were dosage-time dependent relationships. The morphology of cells become small and round, the process of cell division got less were observed. L-securinine-treated cells exhibited higher fluorescent density and more MDC-labeled particles in A549 cells compared with the control group. Beclin-1 expression enhanced with L-securinine concentration increased. CONCLUSION: L-securinine has an anti-tumor effect against human non small cell lung cancer A549 cell. The L-securinine can induce striking autophagy in A549 cell in vitro. The autophagy induced by L-securinine is related with upregulating the expression of autophagy gene Beclin-1.

Key words: L-securinine, non small cell lung cancer, A549 cell, autophagic