Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the potential effects of the 5, 10, 15, 20-tetrakis (1-methylpyridinium-4-yl) porphyrin (TMPyP4) on the proliferation and apoptosis of SW480 cells and the underlying mechanisms by which TMPyP4 exerted its actions.
Methods: After treated with different doses of TMPyP4, cell viability was determined by MTT method, the apoptosis was observed by flow cytometry (FCM) and the expression of Wnt, GSK-3β, β-catenin and cyclinD1 was measured by RT-PCR and Western blot analysis.
Results: The analysis revealed that TMPyP4 potently suppressed cell viability and induced the apoptosis of SW480 cells in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, the downregulation of Wnt, β-catenin and cyclinD1 expression levels was detected in TMPyP4-treated SW480 cells. However, followed by the block of Wnt signaling pathway using siRNA methods, the effects of TMPyP4 on proliferation and apoptosis of SW480 cells were significantly reduced.
Conclusion: It indicates that the TMPyP4-inhibited proliferation and -induced apoptosis in SW480 cells was accompanied by the suppression of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Therefore, TMPyP4 may represent a potential therapeutic method for the treatment of colon carcinoma.
Keywords: Apoptosis; SW480 cells; TMPyP4; Wnt/β-catenin; proliferation.