Flavonoids in Ageratum conyzoides L. Exert Potent Antitumor Effects on Human Cervical Adenocarcinoma HeLa Cells In Vitro and In Vivo

Zeyan Lin,Youming Hou,Yanyan Lin,Jinxing Shen,Meijiao Jiang

doi:10.1155/2020/2696350

Abstract

The Ageratum conyzoides L. (A. conyzoides) is commonly used as a traditional medicine, and its antitumor effects have also been studied. However, the functional roles of flavonoids in A. conyzoides in antitumor activities have not been clarified. The present study is aimed at investigating the biological effects of flavonoids in A. conyzoides on human cervical adenocarcinoma. Firstly, we detected that flavonoids in A. conyzoides significantly inhibited the proliferation, invasion, migration, and clonality of human cervical adenocarcinoma HeLa cells in vitro. Furthermore, we found that flavonoids in A. conyzoides induced significant S phase arrest and apoptosis and obviously decreased the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) level in HeLa cells. Finally, we found that flavonoids in A. conyzoides significantly inhibited the HeLa xenograft tumor growth and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in vivo. In conclusion, our results demonstrated the obvious antitumor effects of flavonoids in A. conyzoides on HeLa cells, suggesting that flavonoids in A. conyzoides could be provided as a novel therapeutic compound for human cervical adenocarcinoma.

Highlights

Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women worldwide [1, 2] and accounts for approximately 275,000 deaths and 528,000 diagnosed cases per year [3]
We suggested that flavonoids in A. conyzoides significantly inhibited the proliferation, invasion, migration, and clonality of HeLa cells
We found that HeLa cells without flavonoid treatment were spindle-shaped with a plump body, and there were a small number of round cells scattered in a high-power field (HPF)

Summary

Introduction

Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women worldwide [1, 2] and accounts for approximately 275,000 deaths and 528,000 diagnosed cases per year [3]. Current therapies for cervical cancer including surgery, chemotherapy, or radiotherapy are expensive, nonspecific, and low effective [6]. It is creditable to exploit more novel therapeutic compounds for cervical cancer treatment. Natural products are considered attractive candidates for new tumor therapies ascribed to their properties of chemical diversity, structural complexity, affordability, few toxic effects, and inherent biological activities [8]. Flavonoids are a large class of natural compounds that are widely found in the plant kingdom [9]. Flavonoids possess a diverse range of bioactivities, such as antioxidation, antihyperlipidemia, antifatigue, antiaging, and atherosclerosis-prevention activities [10]. The antitumor effects of flavonoids have been revealed by plentiful of studies [11,12,13]

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Discussion

Conclusion