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Asiatic acid attenuates malignancy of human metastatic ovarian cancer cells via inhibition of epithelial-tomesenchymal transition


Xiufen Wang
Jie Sun
Feifei Liu
Yinghui Bian
Lili Miao
Xinbo Wang

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the anticancer effects of asiatic acid on human metastatic ovarian cancer cells.

Methods: Human metastatic ovarian cancer cell line SKOV-3 was treated with various concentrations of asiatic acid for 24 and 48 h. Cell proliferation, migration, invasion and morphology were analyzed by CCK-8, Transwell and immunofluorescence assays, respectively. Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transitionrelated gene and protein expressions were analyzed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and Western blotting.

Results: Asiatic acid (10 μM) significantly suppressed SKOV-3 cell migration and invasion (both p < 0.01). Moreover, epithelial markers (E-cad and KRT-7/14/19) were elevated, while mesenchymal markers (vimetin, N-cad and ZEB1/2) were suppressed after asiatic acid treatment, at both mRNA and protein levels. Inhibition of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition was further evidenced by immunofluorescence staining of pan-cytokeratin and F-actin.

Conclusion: Asiatic acid attenuates the malignancy of human metastatic ovarian cancer cells via epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition inhibition, and thus, is a therapeutic agent for ovarian cancer management.

Keywords: Asiatic acid, Ovarian cancer, Metastasis, Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, Vometin


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eISSN: 1596-9827
print ISSN: 1596-5996