Influence of Helicobacter pylori-derived outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) on Snail/β-Catenin cascade and metastasis-related proteins in 4T1 breast cancer cells.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: This study investigates the impact of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori)-derived outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) on the regulation of Snail/β-Catenin cascade and the production of metastasis-related proteins, such as E-cadherin and Vimentin, in the 4T1 cell line. MATERIALS AND METHODS: OMVs were purified from H. pylori (ATCC 700392) cultures and applied to 4T1 cells at concentrations of 1, 5, and 10 μg/mL, with untreated cells serving as controls. The MTT assay was employed to quantify cell viability. Expression profiles of +vimentin, Snail, α-SMA, and β-catenin genes were evaluated by qRT-PCR, while protein expression of E-cadherin and Vimentin was analyzed via immunohistochemistry. Data were analyzed using appropriate statistical methods with SPSS and GraphPad Prism software. RESULTS: The MTT assay showed that 1 μg/mL OMVs were safe for normal cells. At this concentration, the expression of vimentin, Snail, α-SMA, and β-catenin genes significantly increased in the treatment group (P≤0.05). Additionally, Vimentin protein decreased, and E-cadherin protein increased (P≤0.05). CONCLUSION: H. pylori-derived OMVs activate the Snail/β-Catenin cascade, influencing inflammatory responses and metastasis-related proteins, ultimately reducing migration in advanced cancer stages by modulating Vimentin and E-cadherin expression.