2. Academic Validation
  3. Dioscin Inhibits the Invasion and Migration of Hepatocellular Carcinoma HepG2 Cells by Reversing TGF-β1-Induced Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition

Dioscin Inhibits the Invasion and Migration of Hepatocellular Carcinoma HepG2 Cells by Reversing TGF-β1-Induced Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition

  • Molecules. 2019 Jun 14;24(12):2222. doi: 10.3390/molecules24122222.
Bonan Chen 1 2,  Shikun Zhou 3,  Yujuan Zhan 4 5,  Junzi Ke 6,  Kun Wang 7,  Qiqi Liang 8,  Yu Hou 9,  Pingping Zhu 10,  Weizhen Ao 11,  Xianli Wei 12,  Jianyong Xiao 13 14
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Department of Biochemistry, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510006, China. [email protected].
  • 2 Research Center of Integrative Medicine, School of Basic medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510006, China. [email protected].
  • 3 Research Center of Integrative Medicine, School of Basic medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510006, China. [email protected].
  • 4 Department of Biochemistry, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510006, China. [email protected].
  • 5 Research Center of Integrative Medicine, School of Basic medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510006, China. [email protected].
  • 6 Research Center of Integrative Medicine, School of Basic medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510006, China. [email protected].
  • 7 Department of Pathology, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510006, China. [email protected].
  • 8 Research Center of Integrative Medicine, School of Basic medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510006, China. [email protected].
  • 9 Research Center of Integrative Medicine, School of Basic medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510006, China. [email protected].
  • 10 Research Center of Integrative Medicine, School of Basic medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510006, China. [email protected].
  • 11 Research Center of Integrative Medicine, School of Basic medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510006, China. [email protected].
  • 12 Department of Medical Instruments, Guangdong Food and Drug Vocational College, Guangzhou 510006, China. [email protected].
  • 13 Department of Biochemistry, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510006, China. [email protected].
  • 14 Research Center of Integrative Medicine, School of Basic medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510006, China. [email protected].
PMID: 31197076 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24122222
Abstract

Dioscin is a natural steroidal saponin that can be isolated from Chinese medicine, such as Dioscoreae rhizoma. It has wild range of pharmacological activities such as hepatoprotection, a lipid-lowering effect, and anti-inflammation. Recently, mounting studies reported the Anticancer effect of dioscin on a variety of tumor cells. However, the potential effect of dioscin on the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of HepG2 cells is unclear. In the present study, dioscin was identified to inhibit transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) and induced invasive and migratory behavior of HepG2 cells. Consistently, the expression of the epithelial marker E-cadherin and gap junction proteins increased following dioscin treatment, while mesenchymal markers decreased, including N-Cadherin, Vimentin, Snail, and Slug. Furthermore, we discovered that TGF-β1 induces phosphorylation of JNK, p38, and ERK, whereas the activation of these kinases was reversed by dioscin treatment in a dose-dependent manner. With the addition of Asiatic acid, a p38 activator, the inhibitory effect of dioscin on EMT was reversed. Taken together, these data indicated that dioscin inhibits EMT in HepG2 cells, which is mediated in large part by inhibition of the p38-MAPK signaling.

Keywords

MAPK; TGF-β1; dioscin; epithelial-mesenchymal transition; hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

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