Abstract
Chinese herbal medicine utilizes clinically effective adjuvants that can potentiate the effects of hepatectomy and molecule-targeted drugs for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The aim of this study was to investigate the possible molecular mechanisms underlying the antitumor effect of fufang yiliu yin (FYY) on HCC cells. We investigated the effects of FYY on the proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis of SMMC-7721 cells in vitro and in mouse subcutaneous xenograft models in vivo. FYY significantly inhibited the proliferation of SMMC-7721 cells compared to that of normal hepatocytes; cell proliferation was blocked at the G2/M phase in accordance with reduced expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen. FYY treatment resulted in the activation of caspase-8, caspase-3 and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase, with reduced protein levels of tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 2, indicating an induction of cell apoptosis. In addition, we observed decreases in the protein expression of matrix metalloproteinase-2 and -9 along with an inhibition of cell migration and invasion after FYY treatment. Furthermore, FYY treatment significantly inhibited the growth of tumors in vivo. These data demonstrate the strong inhibitory effects of FYY on SMMC-7721 cells, and we propose FYY as a novel potential anticancer adjuvant.