title: Inhibitory effect of emodin on migration, invasion and metastasis of human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells in vitro and in vivo.
abstract: In breast cancer, metastasis is the main reason for patient mortality. In the present study, we used breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells and a mouse xenograft model to demonstrate the effect of emodin on the migration, invasion and metastasis of human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells and the related mechanisms. In vitro, wound healing and Transwell assays showed that emodin dose-dependently inhibited the migration and invasion of MDA-MB-231 cells. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) showed that emodin decreased the secretion of MMP-2 and MMP-9. Western blot analysis showed that emodin downregulated the expression levels of MMP-2, MMP-9, uPA and uPAR as well as p38 inhibitor SB203580 and ERK inhibitor PD980559, even though TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 were not obviously changed in the MDA-MB-231 cells. Furthermore, emodin inhibited the activity of p38 and ERK1/2 in the MDA-MB-231 cells. In vivo, emodin inhibited lung metastasis in mice bearing the breast cancer MDA-MB-231 xenografts with no obvious changes in body weight, liver and kidney functions. These results indicated that emodin inhibited the lung metastasis of human breast cancer in a mouse xenograft model, and inhibited the invasion of MDA-MB-231 cells associated with the downregulation of MMP-2, MMP-9, uPA and uPAR expression as well as decreased activity of p38 and ERK.
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine Complexity System, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine Complexity System, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Xiufeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine Complexity System, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Qianmei
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine Complexity System, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yiyu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine Complexity System, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine Complexity System, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Qilong
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine Complexity System, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine Complexity System, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Shibing
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Su
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor / Q000187:drug effects; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004642:Emodin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / Q000378:metabolism; D008819:Mice, Nude; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator / Q000378:metabolism; D023041:Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9; D004642:Emodin