title: Panax notoginseng saponins (PNS) inhibits breast cancer metastasis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Panax notoginseng (Burkill) F.H. Chen (Araliaceae) has been extensively used as a therapeutic agent to treat a variety of diseases. Panax notoginseng saponins (PNS) consist of major therapeutically active components of Panax notoginseng. PNS inhibit the growth of a variety of tumor cells in vitro and in vivo. The aim of the study is to investigate the effects and underlying mechanisms of PNS on breast cancer metastasis.
  
  
  METHODS
  4T1 cell, a highly metastatic mouse breast carcinoma cell line, was utilized for in vitro and in vivo assays. In vitro assays were first performed to examine the effects of PNS on 4T1 cell viability, migration and invasion, respectively. Real-time PCR analyses were also performed to examine the effects of PNS on the expression of genes associated with tumor metastasis. The effect of PNS on 4T1 tumor cell metastasis was further assessed in spontaneous and experimental metastasis models in vivo.
  
  
  RESULTS
  PNS treatment exhibited a dose-dependent effect on impairing 4T1 cell viability in vitro. However, when examined at a lower dose that did not affect cell viability, the migration and invasion of 4T1 cell was remarkably inhibited in vitro. Meanwhile, PNS treatment led to upregulated expression of genes known to inhibit metastasis and downregulated expression of genes promoting metastasis in cultured 4T1 cells. These results suggested a selective effect of PNS on 4T1 migration and invasion. This hypothesis was further addressed in 4T1 metastasis models in vivo. The results showed that the lung metastasis was significantly inhibited by PNS treatment in both spontaneous and experimental metastasis models.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Taken together, our results demonstrated an inhibitory effect of PNS on 4T1 tumor metastasis, warranting further evaluation of PNS as a therapeutic agent for treating breast cancer metastasis.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Research Institute of Integrative Medicine & Yueyang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 110 Ganhe Rd, Shanghai 200437, China.
authors.forename: Peiwei
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Clinical Research Institute of Integrative Medicine & Yueyang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 110 Ganhe Rd, Shanghai 200437, China.
authors.forename: Jingang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.affiliation: Clinical Research Institute of Integrative Medicine & Yueyang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 110 Ganhe Rd, Shanghai 200437, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoye
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Du
authors.affiliation: Clinical Research Institute of Integrative Medicine & Yueyang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 110 Ganhe Rd, Shanghai 200437, China.
authors.forename: Qinbo
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Clinical Research Institute of Integrative Medicine & Yueyang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 110 Ganhe Rd, Shanghai 200437, China.
authors.forename: Chenglin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.affiliation: Clinical Research Institute of Integrative Medicine & Yueyang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 110 Ganhe Rd, Shanghai 200437, China.
authors.forename: Minqi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Xiong
authors.affiliation: Clinical Research Institute of Integrative Medicine & Yueyang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 110 Ganhe Rd, Shanghai 200437, China.
authors.forename: Xintong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Clinical Research Institute of Integrative Medicine & Yueyang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 110 Ganhe Rd, Shanghai 200437, China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Clinical Research Institute of Integrative Medicine & Yueyang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 110 Ganhe Rd, Shanghai 200437, China.
authors.forename: Wenjian
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Clinical Research Institute of Integrative Medicine & Yueyang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 110 Ganhe Rd, Shanghai 200437, China. Electronic address: chenyu6639@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Clinical Research Institute of Integrative Medicine & Yueyang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 110 Ganhe Rd, Shanghai 200437, China. Electronic address: zhangteng501@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Teng
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; D005260:Female; D015674:Mammary Neoplasms, Animal / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D053723:Panax notoginseng / Q000737:chemistry*; D012503:Saponins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D012503:Saponins
keywords: 4T1 mammary carcinoma; Metastasis; Panax notoginseng saponins