Oleanolic acid inhibits the proliferation of Hela cells in cervical cancer by regulating the ACSL4 ferroptosis signaling pathway

Background: Cervical cancer continues to be the leading cause of cancer deaths among women worldwide. Oleanolic acid (OA) is a naturally occurring substance found in the leaves, fruits, and rhizomes of plants that has anti-cancer activity. Methods: We used tumor-bearing mice as the animal model and Hela cell as cell models. Western blot was used for detecting the expression of proteins in ferroptosis related proteins acyl-CoA synthase long-chain family member 4 (ACSL4), ferritin heavy chain (FTH1), transferrin receptor (TfR1) and glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) in vivo and in vitro. MTT and EdU was for the detection of the viability of Hela cells. Results: In vivo experiments showed that OA significantly reduced the size and mass of cervical cancer tumors. In vitro experiments showed that OA significantly reduced the viability and proliferation capacity of Hela cells. In both in vivo and in vitro assays, OA increased the level of oxidative stress and Fe2+ content, and increased the expression of ferroptosis related proteins. We found high expression of ACSL4 in both xenograft models and cervical carcinoma cells. Meanwhile, knockdown of ACSL4 expression using shRNA in cervical cancer cells significantly increased cell viability and proliferation. In addition, decreased ROS levels and GPX4 were detected in ACSL4 knockdown cervical cancer cells, suggesting that ACSL4 inhibition may contribute to the reduction of ferroptosis within Hela cells and thus improve Hela cell survival. Conclusion: Promotion of ACSL4 dependent ferroptosis through OA may be an effective approach to treat cervical cancer.