Abstract
Malignant melanoma (MM) is a highly metastatic and malignant cancer. Developing potential drugs with good efficacy and low toxicity for MM treatment is needed. Huaier, extracted from the mushroom Trametes robiniophila Murr, has been widely used in clinical anticancer treatments in China. A previous work done by our group confirmed that Huaier could inhibit cell proliferation and induce apoptosis in human melanoma cells. The current study is aimed at investigating the effects of Huaier on melanoma metastasis and angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo and to explore its possible mechanism of action. Our results showed that Huaier not only significantly inhibited the metastasis of A375 cells at the concentration ranging from 4 to 16 mg/ml (P < 0.05), which were determined by the wound healing assay and transwell assay in vitro, but also suppressed the MM tumor growth and metastatic cells to the liver in A375-bearing mice after oral administration at the dose of 5 mg/kg (P < 0.05). In addition, Huaier treatment downregulated the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), astrocyte-elevated gene-1 (AEG-1), and N-cadherin, while it upregulated E-cadherin expression in both the A375 cells and tumor tissues, which was detected using western blotting and RT-PCR (P < 0.05). Taken together, our data suggests that the antitumor and antimetastatic activities of Huaier are caused by the downregulation of the HIF-1α/VEGF and AEG-1 signaling pathways and by the inhibition of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). This study provides a new insight into the mechanism of Huaier on antimetastatic therapy and a new scientific basis for comprehensive treatment strategies for MM.
Highlights
Melanoma is a malignant tumor that originates from melanocytes [1]
We examined a series of protumor mediators associated with angiogenesis and metastasis
Including astrocyte-elevated gene-1 (AEG-1), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), E-cadherin, and Ncadherin to explore the potential mechanism by which Huaier reduces angiogenesis and metastasis in A375 cells
Summary
Despite advances in the treatment of melanoma, MM has a very poor prognosis with invasion and metastasis remaining the leading cause of death [2]. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been used in China for many years and has many advantages such as low price, overall conditioning, and fewer adverse effects. It plays an important role in the treatment of malignant tumors and has been reported to enhance the sensitivity of the tumor to radiotherapy and chemotherapy, alleviate adverse reactions [4], and cause an inhibitory effect on tumor invasion and metastasis [5]. The pharmacological effects and pharmaceutical ingredients of many TCMs are constantly being studied, deepening the understanding of TCMs’ action mechanisms
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