Influence of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Inhibitor AG1478 on Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Endometrial Carcinoma Cells

Abstract

To analyze the influence of epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor AG1478 on the proliferation and epithelial-mesenchymal transition in endometrial carcinoma cells. The inhibitory effect of different concentrations of AG1478 on the proliferation of endometrial carcinoma cells was detected by tetrazolium-based assay. Western blot was applied to investigate the influence of AG1478 on expressions of epithelium-cadherin, α-catenin, neural cadherin, vimentin, matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9), and MMP2 protein in endometrial carcinoma cells. The influence of AG1478 on migration and invasion of endometrial carcinoma cells was examined by Transwell migration and invasion assay, respectively. AG1478 could suppress the proliferation of different endometrial carcinoma cells, and cells transfected with epidermal growth factor receptor were more sensitive (P < 0.05). The expression of an increase in epithelial marker proteins and a decrease in mesenchymal marker proteins, MMP9, MMP2 were observed in endometrial carcinoma cells after AG1478 treated. This effect was more obvious in cells transfected with epidermal growth factor receptor (P < 0.05). The migration and invasion ability of endometrial carcinoma cells were suppressed by AG1478, and Ishikawa cells transfected with epidermal growth factor receptor were demonstrated to be more sensitive to AG1478 (P < 0.05). Epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor AG1478 could effectively inhibit the proliferation and epithelial-mesenchymal transition of endometrial carcinoma cells.