Ursodeoxycholic acid induces autophagy via LC3B to suppress hepatocellular carcinoma in vivo and in vitro

Background and aims: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common cancer worldwide. Researchers have found that UDCA can be used to inhibit the growth of tumors. Microtubule-associated protein light chain 3B (LC3B) is an important reglator of autophagosomes. No researches have been published on the relationship of UDCA and LC3B.

Methods: A Cell Counting Kit-8 cell viability assay, cell migration assay, quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) and western blot were conducted for the SMMC-7721 and HepG2 cell lines. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and immunohistochemistry (IHC) were used to analyze nude mice with 7721 xenograftes. The expression of LC3B was evaluated both in vivo and in vitro.

Results: Our studies demonstrated that UDCA reduced the viability of the primary HCC cell lines 7721 and HepG2 (Student's t-test, P<0.05) and inhibited the migration of 7721 cells (Student's t-test, P<0.05). UDCA also increased the expression of LC3B and p53 in vitro (Student's t-test, P<0.05). Additionally, UDCA inhibited the growth of tumors (Student's t-test, P<0.05) and promoted the expression of LC3B in nude mice.

Conclusion: Our data showed that UDCA promoted the expression of LC3B, with suppressed HCC in vivo and in vitro.