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Therapeutic Effects of Punicalagin Against Ovarian Carcinoma Cells in Association With β-Catenin Signaling Inhibition
Jian-Ming Tang1, Jie Min, Bing-Shu Li
1Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
Aim:
The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of punicalagin, a polyphenol isolated from Punica granatum, on human A2780 ovarian cancer cells in vitro.
Methods:
The viability of human A2780 ovarian cells was evaluated using Cell Counting Kit-8 assay. Cell cycle was detected with flow cytometry analysis. The protein expression levels of Bcl-2, Bax, β-catenin, cyclin D1, survivin, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-2, and TIMP-3 were measured using Western blot analysis. Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9 activity was determined with gelatin zymography. Wound healing assay was used to determine cell migration.
Results:
Punicalagin inhibited the cell viability of A2780 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner, and the cell cycle of A2780 cells was arrested in G1/S phase transition. The treatment also induced apoptosis as shown by the up-regulation of Bax and down-regulation of Bcl-2. On the other hand, punicalagin treatment increased the expressions of TIMP-2 and TIMP-3, decreased the activities of MMP-2 and MMP-9, and inhibited cell migration. In addition, the β-catenin pathway was suppressed as shown by the down-regulations of β-catenin and its downstream factors including cyclin D1 and survivin.
Conclusions:
Punicalagin may have cancer-chemopreventive as well as cancer-chemotherapeutic effects against human ovarian cancer in humans through the inhibition of β-catenin signaling pathway.
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