Research on Anti-Metastasis Effect of Emodin on Pancreatic Cancer

Abstract

To investigate the anti-metastasis effect of emodin on the pancreatic cancer in vitro and in vivo. Human pancreatic cancer cell line SW1980 was treated with different concentrations of emodin (10, 30, 40 μmol·L−1) for 2 h, the effects of emodin on migration and invasion of SW1980 cells were examined by using wound assay. Western blot was used to detect the protein expression of NF-κ and MMP-9 in SW1980 cells after various concentrations of emodin (10, 30, 40 μmol.L−1) treatment for 48 h. Eight weeks after implantation, the presences of metastasis were evaluated respectively after the mice were sacrificed. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the positive expression of CD41, NF-κB and MMP-9 in the tumors. Emodin suppressed the migration and invasion of SW1980 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Western bolt assay indicated that emodin downregulated the expression of NF-κ and MMP-9 proteins. The incidences of metastasis were de-creased significantly in L-EMO group and H-EMO group as compared with that in control group. The percentage of CD41, NF_κand MMP-9-positive cells in the tumors were significantly reduced by the administration of emodin.