title: Anacardic acid enhances the proliferation of human ovarian cancer cells.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Anacardic acid (AA) is a mixture of 2-hydroxy-6-alkylbenzoic acid homologs. Certain antitumor activities of AA have been reported in a variety of cancers. However, the function of AA in ovarian cancer, to date, has remained unknown.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ovarian cancer cell lines were exposed to AA, after which cell proliferation, apoptosis, invasion and migration assays were performed. Phalloidin staining was used to observe lamellipodia formation. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and western blotting were used to assess the mRNA and protein expression levels of Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and caspase 3.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our results showed that AA promotes ovarian cancer cell proliferation, inhibits late apoptosis, and induces cell migration and invasion, as well as lamellipodia formation. AA exposure significantly up-regulated PI3K and VEGF mRNA and protein expression, while, in contrast, it down-regulated caspase 3 mRNA and protein expression in comparison to untreated control cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Taken together, our results demonstrate for the first time that AA may potentiate the proliferation, invasion, metastasis and lamellipodia formation in ovarian cancer cell lines via PI3K, VEGF and caspase 3 pathways.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yin-Ling
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Xiu
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Pathology and Pathophysiology, College of Basic Medicine, China Medical University, Shenyang, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Wen-Feng
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Gou
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Shuo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Clinical Cancer Institute, Kanagawa Cancer Center, Yokohama, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takano
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Pathology and Pathophysiology, College of Basic Medicine, China Medical University, Shenyang, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Hua-Chuan
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Zheng
mesh_terms: D048729:Anacardic Acids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D010641:Phenotype; D011554:Pseudopodia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D048729:Anacardic Acids; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C088115:anacardic acid