Abstract
The extract of the seeds of Psoralea corylifolia Linn. (P. corylifolia) have been shown to display anti-tumor activity. However, the prospects of the active compounds from this plant in the treatment of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remains unclear. In the present study, the antitumor effects of psorachromene, a flavonoid extracted from the seeds of P. corylifolia, were investigated using cells and animal models of OSCC; the downstream regulatory mechanisms were also elucidated. The results showed that psorachromene significantly repressed cell proliferation, migration, and invasiveness and increased the toxic effects of chemotherapeutic agents against OSCC cells. The repressive effects of psorachromene were attributable to the inhibition of EGFR-Slug signaling, and the induction of G2/M arrest and apoptosis in the OSCC cells. Additionally, we found that psorachromene induced the expression of tumor suppressor long non-coding ribonucleic acid (RNA) growth arrest-specific transcript 5 (GAS5) and the activation of its downstream anticancer mechanisms. Animal experiments also showed noticeable inhibition of tumor growth, without significant physiological toxicity. The findings indicate that psorachromene displays anti-tumor activity in OSCC, and warrants further investigation as a potential agent for clinical application.
Highlights
Oral cancer is the eleventh most common malignancy worldwide [1]
Psorachromene is a flavonoid extracted from the seeds of P. corylifolia L. (Figure 1A)
The results showed that psorachromene could significantly inhibit the growth of SAS and OECM1 cells starting from concentrations of 25 μM; the inhibitory effect became more significant with increasing psorachromene concentrations (Figure 1B)
Summary
Oral cancer is the eleventh most common malignancy worldwide [1]. In Taiwan, more than 4,700 people are diagnosed with oral cancer each year, and ∼2,200 people die from it. Among all types of oral cancer, oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common, with an incidence of ∼90% [2]. Smoking, drinking alcohol, and chewing tobacco or betel seeds are risk factors for OSCC [3,4,5]. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors are used in the treatment of OSCC [8, 9]. Oral cancer research continues to focus on the development of effective new treatment methods with minimal side effects
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