Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the inhibitory effect of polysaccharide of Atractylodes macrocephala (PAM) on the proliferation and invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma cells and the underlying mechanism. METHODS: Hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cells were treated with different concentrations of PAM, and their proliferation and invasive ability were examined using CCK-8 assay and Transwell assay. Immunofluorescence assay was performed to detect the expression level of β-catenin, and real-time PCR and Western blotting were used to detect the mRNA and protein expressions of AKT, GSK-3β and MMP-2 in the cells. The changes in the proliferation, invasiveness and the expressions of pGSK-3β and MMP2 were examined in the cells following treatment with LiCl/PAM/LiCl plus PAM. RESULTS: PAM treatment significantly reduced the cell viability, the number of migration cells, and the expression levels of β-catenin and MMP-2 (P < 0.05), and obviously inhibited the phosphorylation of AKT and GSK-3β in the cells (P < 0.05) in a dose-dependent manner. The rescue experiment showed that LiCl reversed the inhibition of cell proliferation, invasiveness, and the Wnt/β-catenin pathway induced by PAM. CONCLUSIONS: PAM can inhibit the proliferation and invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma cells in vitro possibly by inhibiting the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.