Transcriptomics and molecular docking reveal the potential mechanism of lycorine against pancreatic cancer

Background: Pancreatic cancer is an extremely malignant digestive tumor, however, owing to its high drug resistance of pancreatic cancer, the search for more effective anti-pancreatic cancer drugs is urgently needed. Lycorine, an alkaloid of natural plant origin, exerts antitumor effects on a variety of tumors. Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effect of lycorine on pancreatic cancer and elucidate its potential molecular mechanism. Methods: Two pancreatic cancer cell lines, PANC-1 and BxPC-3, were used to investigate the therapeutic effects of lycorine on pancreatic cancer in vitro using the CCK8 assay, colony formation assay, 5-Ethynyl-2 '- deoxyuridine (EdU) incorporation assay, flow cytometry, and western blotting. Transcriptome sequencing and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) were used to analyze the differentially expressed genes and pathways after lycorine treatment. Molecular docking, quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), oil red O staining, small interfering RNA (siRNA) transfection, and other experiments were performed to further validate the differentially expressed genes and pathways. In vivo experiments were conducted to investigate lycorine's inhibitory effects and toxicity on pancreatic cancer using a tumor-bearing mouse model. Results: Lycorine inhibited the proliferation of pancreatic cancer cells, caused G2/M phase cycle arrest and induced apoptosis. Transcriptome sequencing and GSEA showed that lycorine inhibition of pancreatic cancer was associated with fatty acid metabolism, and aldehyde dehydrogenase 3A1 (ALDH3A1) was a significantly enriched target in the fatty acid metabolism process. ALDH3A1 expression was significantly upregulated in pancreatic cancer and was closely associated with prognosis. Molecular docking showed that lycorine binds strongly to ALDH3A1. Further studies revealed that lycorine inhibited the fatty acid oxidation (FAO) process in pancreatic cancer cells and induced cell growth inhibition and apoptosis through ALDH3A1. Lycorine also showed significant suppressive effects in tumor-bearing mice. Importantly, it did not result in significant toxicity to liver and kidney of mice, demonstrating its therapeutic potential as a safe antitumor agent. Conclusion: Lycorine inhibited pancreatic cancer cell proliferation, blocked the cell cycle, and induced apoptosis by targeting ALDH3A1. FAO inhibition was identified for the first time as a possible mechanism for the anticancer effects of lycorine. These findings enrich the theory of targeted therapy for pancreatic cancer, expand our understanding of the pharmacological targets of lycorine, and provide a reference for exploring its natural components.