Abstract
Oral cancer is one of the most commonly occurring cancers worldwide, decreasing the patient's survival rate due to tumor recurrence and metastasis. Menadione (Vitamin K3) is known to exhibit cytotoxicity in various cancer cells but the present study focused on its effects on viability, apoptosis, epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), anchorage independent growth and migration of oral cancer cells. The results show that menadione is more cytotoxic to SAS (oral squamous carcinoma) cells but not to non-tumorigenic HEK293 and HaCaT cells. Menadione treatment increased the expression of pro-apoptotic proteins, Bax and p53, with a concurrent decrease in anti-apoptotic proteins, Bcl-2 and p65. Menadione induced the expression of E-cadherin but reduced the expression of EMT markers, vimentin and fibronectin. Menadione also inhibited anchorage independent growth and migration in SAS cells. These findings reveal and confirm that menadione is a potential candidate in oral cancer therapy as it exhibits cytotoxic, antineoplastic and antimigratory effects besides effectively blocking EMT in oral cancer cells.
Highlights
Oral cancer is the most common in men and women in India, due to ethnic or geographical factors and increased addictive habits such as tobacco chewing, smoking and alcoholism Byakodi et al (2012)
Menadione (Vitamin K3) is known to exhibit cytotoxicity in various cancer cells but the present study focused on its effects on viability, apoptosis, epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), anchorage independent growth and migration of oral cancer cells
Cytotoxic effects of menadione on oral cancer (SAS) and immortalized/non-tumorigenic (HEK293 and HaCaT) cells were evaluated by MTT assay
Summary
Oral cancer is the most common in men and women in India, due to ethnic or geographical factors and increased addictive habits such as tobacco chewing, smoking and alcoholism Byakodi et al (2012). Oral cancer is known to exhibit multiple primary tumor formation, a phenomenon known as ‘field cancerization’, which leads to low survival rate in patients Hsu et al (2004). Menadione (2-methyl-1, 4-naphthoquinone/vitamin-K3), a naphthoquinone and a precursor in the synthesis of vitamin K, is supplemented to neonatal patients with low prothrombin levels to prevent hemorrhagical disorders (Hassan, 2013). It is used as an anti-inflammatory compound and as a component in multivitamin drugs. The present study is focused on the antiproliferative effects of menadione and elucidates its role in regulating EMT, migration and anchorage independent growth in oral cancer cells
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