Preclinical Study of Plant Flavonoid in Treatment of Squamous Cell Skin Cancer
Posted: Friday, June 19, 2020
The plant-based flavonoid avicularin has anticancer and anti-infective properties, although its underlying mechanisms have not been well understood. Qin Wu, PhD, of Jiangsu Vocational College of Medicine, China, and colleagues suggested that avicularin may prevent cell viability, induce apoptosis, and inhibit epithelial-mesenchymal transition of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma in a dose-dependent manner. The results, published in Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine, may offer a theoretical foundation for treating patients with cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma using this agent.
The research team conducted an in vitro study to investigate the effect of avicularin on cancer cell viability using a Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. Cell proliferation, apoptosis, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition regulation was analyzed for 24, 48, and 72 hours at different concentrations of avicularin (0, 10, 30, 100, or 300 µM).
The researchers found that avicularin treatment significantly inhibited the proliferation of cancer cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner compared with cells not treated with avicularin (P < .05). Avicularin treatment also increased the apoptotic ratio of SCC13 cells in a dose-dependent manner (P < .05). In addition, the researchers observed a decrease in p-MEK and phosphorylated-p65, the MEK/NF-κB signaling pathway–related genes. The avicularin treatment increased E-cadherin expression levels but decreased N-cadherin expression, matrix metalloproteinase 9, and vimentin in SCC13 cells.
Mechanistically, the anticancer effects of avicularin may be related to the regulation of apoptosis-related genes and epithelial-mesenchymal transition–related genes. The investigators proposed that inhibition of the signaling pathway may play a role in the anticancer effects of avicularin. Together, these results may theoretically explain the basis for how avicularin exerts anticancer activity.
Disclosure: The study authors reported no conflicts of interest.
