EFFECTS OF Β-ELEMENE ON PROLIFERATION, MIGRATION AND INVASION OF COLORECTAL CANCER CELLS VIA WNT/Β-CATENIN RELATED PATHWAY

Yufei Sun^*, Zhikang Chen, Shihan Xiao

Department of General Surgery, Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410013, Hunan Province, China

Objective: To investigate the effect of β-elemene on the proliferation, migration, and invasion of colorectal cancer cells through Wnt/β -Catenin pathway.

Methods: Human colorectal cancer cell line HT-29 was randomly divided into a NC group, a 20 μg/ml β-elemene group, a 30 μg/ ml β-elemene group, and a 40 μg/ml β-elemene group. The optical density (OD) value of HT-29 cells at 0h, 24h, 48h, and 72h and the cell migration ability (cell migration distance) at 0h and 48h were analyzed. The invasive ability (number of penetrating cells) of HT-29 cells in each group at 48h were compared. The NC group and the 40 μg/ml group were further analyzed. The expression levels of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway-related proteins in HT-29 cells in β- elemene Group (β-Catenin, p53, MMP-2).

Results: At 0h, there was no significant difference in the OD value of HT-29 cells in each group (P>0.05). At 24h, 48h, and 72h, the OD values of HT-29 cells in the β-elemene concentration group were significantly lower than those in the NC group in a concentration-dependent manner (P<0.05). The migration distance of HT-29 cells in the β-elemene concentration group was significantly lower than that in the NC group (P<0.05). The number of HT-29 cells in the β-elemene concentration group was significantly lower than that in the NC group in a concentration-dependent manner (P<0.05). The expression levels of β-Catenin and MMP-2 in HT-29 cells in the 40 μg/ml β-elemene group were significantly lower than those in the NC group, and the expression level of p53 protein was significantly higher than that in the NC group (P<0.05). 

Conclusion: β-elemene can inhibit the proliferation, migration, and invasion of colon cancer cells by blocking Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.