Baicalein inhibits progression of gallbladder cancer cells by downregulating ZFX

Tian-Yu Liu; Wei Gong; Zhu-Jun Tan; Wei Lu; Xiang-Song Wu; Hao Weng; Qian Ding; Yi-Jun Shu; Run-Fa Bao; Yang Cao; Xu-An Wang; Fei Zhang; Huai-Feng Li; Shan-Shan Xiang; Lin Jiang; Yun-Ping Hu; Jia-Sheng Mu; Mao-Lan Li; Wen-Guang Wu; Bai-Yong Shen; Li-Xin Jiang; Ying-Bin Liu

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0114851

Baicalein inhibits progression of gallbladder cancer cells by downregulating ZFX

PLoS One. 2015 Jan 24;10(1):e0114851. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0114851. eCollection 2015.

Authors

Tian-Yu Liu¹, Wei Gong¹, Zhu-Jun Tan¹, Wei Lu¹, Xiang-Song Wu², Hao Weng², Qian Ding², Yi-Jun Shu², Run-Fa Bao², Yang Cao², Xu-An Wang², Fei Zhang², Huai-Feng Li², Shan-Shan Xiang², Lin Jiang¹, Yun-Ping Hu¹, Jia-Sheng Mu², Mao-Lan Li², Wen-Guang Wu², Bai-Yong Shen³, Li-Xin Jiang⁴, Ying-Bin Liu¹

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Biliary Tract Disease, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Laboratory of General Surgery, Xinhua Hospital, Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Department of General Surgery, Xinhua Hospital, Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, No.1665 Kongjiang Road, Shanghai 200092, China.
² Department of General Surgery, Xinhua Hospital, Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, No.1665 Kongjiang Road, Shanghai 200092, China.
³ Department of General Surgery, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 197 Ruijin Er Road, Shanghai 200025, China.
⁴ Department of General Surgery, Jiangyin hospital of traditional Chinese medicine, Jiangyin, China.

Abstract

Baicalein, a widely used Chinese herbal medicine, has multiple pharmacological activities. However, the precise mechanisms of the anti-proliferation and anti-metastatic effects of baicalein on gallbladder cancer (GBC) remain poorly understood. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the anti-proliferation and anti-metastatic effects of baicalein and the related mechanism(s) on GBC. In the present study, we found that treatment with baicalein induced a significant inhibitory effect on proliferation and promoted apoptosis in GBC-SD and SGC996 cells, two widely used gallbladder cancer cell lines. Additionally, treatment with baicalein inhibited the metastasis of GBC cells. Moreover, we demonstrated for the first time that baicalein inhibited GBC cell growth and metastasis via down-regulation of the expression level of Zinc finger protein X-linked (ZFX). In conclusion, our studies suggest that baicalein may be a potential phytochemical flavonoid for therapeutics of GBC and ZFX may serve as a molecular marker or predictive target for GBC.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Apoptosis / drug effects
Carcinoma / drug therapy
Carcinoma / pathology*
Cell Line, Tumor
Cell Proliferation / drug effects
Down-Regulation*
Drugs, Chinese Herbal / pharmacology*
Flavanones / chemistry
Flavanones / pharmacology*
Gallbladder Neoplasms / drug therapy
Gallbladder Neoplasms / pathology*
Humans
Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors / genetics*
Male
Mice, Nude
Neoplasm Metastasis / prevention & control
Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

Substances

Drugs, Chinese Herbal
Flavanones
Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors
zinc finger protein, X-linked
baicalein

Grants and funding

This study was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81172026, 81272402, 81301816 and 81172029), National High Technology Research and Development Program (863 Program) (No. 2012AA022606), Foundation for Interdisciplinary research of Shanghai Jiao Tong University (No. YG2011ZD07), Shanghai science and technology commission inter-governmental international cooperation project (No. 12410705900), Shanghai science and technology commission medical-guiding project (No. 12401905800), Program for Changjiang Scholars, Natural Science Research Foundation of Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine (No. 13XJ10037), Leading Talent program of Shanghai, Sailing program of Shanghai science and technology commission (14YF1403000) and Specialized Research Foundation for Ph.D Program of Higher Education-Priority Development Field (No. 20130073130014). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.