title: Evaluation of anti-invasion effect of cannabinoids on human hepatocarcinoma cells.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cancer is a disease characterized by abnormal growth of cells. One of the most common types of liver cancers is called hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) which is highly metastatic. As most of cannabinoids have shown anticancer effect against different cell lines in a number of reports, a biological investigation of two cannabinoids, CB65 (CB2 receptor agonist) and ACEA (CB1 receptor agonist) was carried out in this study.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  In an attempt to find natural products as a new solution of cancer, this study was designed to investigate the potential antitumoral and anti-invasive activity of cannabinoids on HepG2 cells and the possible roles of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and MMP-9 in its action.
  
  
  METHODS
  The researchers examined the effect of various concentrations of CB65 (CB2 receptor agonist) and ACEA (CB1 receptor agonist), on the cell proliferation, viability, and invasion as well as expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in HepG2 cells using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazoliumbromide (MTT) assay, matrigel invasion assay, and western blotting method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results revealed that both cannabinoids reduce cell viability, cell invasion as well as MMP-2 and MMP-9 expression in higher dose of 20 nM. Furthermore, higher concentrations of examined cannabinoids were more effective.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data suggest ACEA and CB65 as an option for novel treatment of hepatocellular cancer.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings may contribute to design of new therapeutic strategies for the management of HCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Toxicology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Nazila
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pourkhalili
authors.forename: Mohammad Hossein
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Ghahremani
authors.forename: Narges
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Farsandaj
authors.forename: Shohreh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tavajohi
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Majdzadeh
authors.forename: Maliheh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Parsa
authors.forename: Nasir Jafar
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Lavasani
authors.forename: Seyed Nasser
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Ostad
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001095:Arachidonic Acids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002186:Cannabinoids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000556:secondary; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; D056945:Hep G2 Cells; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / Q000378:metabolism; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D043884:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1 / Q000819:agonists / Q000378:metabolism; D043885:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB2 / Q000819:agonists / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001095:Arachidonic Acids; D002186:Cannabinoids; D043884:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1; D043885:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB2; C119325:arachidonyl-2-chloroethylamide; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9; C432747:1,1-dimethylbutyl-1-deoxy-Delta(9)-THC