Jianpi Bushen Recipe affects epithelial-mesenchymal transition in hepatocellular carcinoma through TGF-β and Twist

Backgroud:To explore the effects of Jianpi Bushen Recipe on the epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT)of nude mice with transplanted human liver cancer SK-HEP-1 cells.Methods:To establish models with transplanted liver cancer cells,nude mice were divided randomly into three groups:blank group,traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)group and control group.They were given normal saline,Jianpi Bushen Recipe and solafeni through administration by gavage for four weeks.The expression of TGF-β and twist mRNA were detected by real-time PCR.The expression of E-cadherin was detected by Western blot.Results:Compared with the blank group,the expression of transforming growth factor-P(TGF-β)mRNA and twist mRNA in the TCM group and the control group decreased significantly(P<0.05).There was no significant difference between the two groups(P>0.05).The expression of E-cadherin protein in TCM group and control group increased significantly(P<0.01).There was no significant difference between the two groups(P>0.05).Conclusion:Jianpi Bushen Recipe can inhibit the EMT of liver cancer SK-HEP-1 cells in vivo by down-regulating the expression of TGF-β/twist signaling and indirectly up-regulating E-cadherin expression in transplanted liver cancer tissue,indicating the potential of Jianpi Bushen Recipe to inhibit invasion and metastasis of liver cancer.