Vernonia amygdalina extract induces apoptosis and inhibits epithelial-mesenchymal transition in Hep 3B cells through the inhibition of PI3k/Akt signaling pathway

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is more common around the world and due to multiple hepatocarcinogenic causes, it is imperative to find drugs that can alleviate the worsening of liver disease or inhibit the occurrence of liver cancer. Recent studies found that Vernonia amygdalina (VA) extracts exhibited the anti-cancer ability, including breast, prostate and nasopharynx cancer. Moreover, recent experiments showed that VA extract has the potential to be hepatoprotective, antioxidant, and antifibrotic to the liver. In this study, the anti-cancer effects and its possible mechanisms of VA extracts in human hepatoma cancer Hep 3B cells were investigated. Western blot, flow cytometry, and cell migration and invasion assays were used to explore the anticancer effects of VA extracts against HCC cells. The MTT assay revealed that the chloroform-leave extract of VA (VA-6) exhibited the most potent ability to inhibit the proliferation of Hep 3B cells than other extracts. Flow cytometric analysis found that VA-6 induced apoptosis in Hep 3B cells. Western blotting demonstrated VA-6 induced apoptosis through the inhibition of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. The results showed that cancer migration and invasion could be repressed by VA-6 through the inhibition of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Interestingly, we found that VA-6 enhanced the sensitivity of paclitaxel and doxorubicin to Hep 3B cell growth.