Erianin inhibits endometrial cancer cell proliferation and migration by modulating glutamine metabolism through the ERK signaling pathway.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the therapeutic use of erianin, a bioactive compound derived from traditional Chinese medicine, in the treatment of EC and its regulatory effects on glutamine metabolism. METHODS: Human Endometrial cancer (EC) cell lines, HEC-1A and Ishikawa, were exposed to erianin, and cellular proliferation and migratory capacity were assessed using the Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay and the Transwell migration assay, respectively. Glutamine metabolism was evaluated by quantifying intracellular glutamine, α-ketoglutaric acid (α-KG), and adenosine triphosphate (ATP). A xenograft tumor model was used to validate the antitumor efficacy of erianin in vivo. The changes in extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling were analyzed by western blotting. RESULTS: Erianin treatment significantly inhibited the proliferation and migration of EC cells in vitro and suppressed tumor growth in vivo. Additionally, erianin downregulated glutamine metabolism, as evidenced by reduced levels of glutamic acid, α-KG, and ATP. Interestingly, activation of the ERK signaling pathway mitigated the antitumor and metabolic inhibitory effects of erianin on EC cells. CONCLUSION: Erianin inhibits glutamine metabolism and suppresses the growth of EC through the ERK signaling pathway.