Anti-tumor effect of Hinesol on liver cancer via downregulating MEK/ERK and NF-κB pathway in SMMC-7721 and LM3cells

OBJECTIVE Liver cancer is one of the most common causes of cancer related deaths worldwide,specially,in China.Hinesol,extracted from Atractylodeslance a(Thunb.) DC.has been proved that has anti-cancer effect in leukemia in vitro and in vivo.However,it has been not well under.stood in liver cancer cells.METHODS Cell proliferation,apoptosis,cell cycle and invasion were performed to investigate the anti-liver cancer effect of hinesol in SMMC-7721 and LM3 by MTT assay,flow cytometry and scratch assay.Western blot was used to research the potential mechanism.RESULTS We revealed that hinesol suppresses cell proliferation and invasion,prompts population of G1 phase,induces apop.tosis in dose-dependent manner in SMMC-7721 and LM3 cells.Western blot data showed that hinesol could inhibits the expression of cyclin-D1,Bcl-2 and Bax,and inhibited phosphorylation of MEK and ERK,down-regulated the expressions of NF-κB p65 and phosphor-p65 in nucleus.The results indicated that hinesol reduces cell proliferation via arresting cell cycle at G1 phase and induces apoptosis.Further.more,western blot showed that hinesol inhibited phosphorylation of MEK and ERK,down-regulated the expressions of NF-κB p65 and phosphor-p65 in nucleus.CONCLUSION Our results demonstrate that hinesolreduces cell proliferation via arresting cell cycle at G1 phase and induces apoptosis,it has potent anti-cancer effect against liver cancer cells via down-regulation of MEK/ERK and NF-κB pathway,and indicate that hinesol is a potential liver cancer drug for further research.