Monochasma savatieri Inhibits the Migration of the Breast Cancer Cell Line MDA- MB-231.

Abstract

Monochasma savatieri, a hemiparasite of mosses, has been used as a traditional medicine in China. Currently, there is a worldwide interest in identifying novel sources of anti-cancer agents. This study aimed to assay the aqueous extract of M. savatieri to investigate its cytotoxicity and anti-migratory effect on breast cancer cells. MCF7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines were used to evaluate the cytotoxicity by crystal violet staining and cell cycle analysis by flow cytometry. MDA-MB-231 cells were used to analyze cell migration by the wound-healing and the Transwell® assays. In addition, the capacity of cell adhesion and spreading was tested. Activation of PARP-1, Erk and Akt, and the levels of snail, vimentin, and caveolin-1 were determined by Western blot. No significant effect was observed on survival or cell cycle studies with doses up to 500 µg/mL in MCF7 and MDA-MB-231 cells. Transwell and wound-healing assays showed that M. savatieri inhibited the migration of MDA-MB-231 cells. Western blot analysis showed a slight decrease in protein expression of factors related to epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (snail and vimentin) and a strong decrease in the expression of caveolin-1 when cells were exposed to M. savatieri. In addition, phosphorylation levels of Erk and Akt were also deregulated due to M. savatieri. The findings of this study suggest that the aqueous extract of M. savatieri possesses anti-metastatic compounds that merit further investigation for treating breast cancer malignancy.