Suppression of Carnosine on Adhesion and Extravasation of Human Colorectal Cancer Cells

To investigate the effect of carnosine, an active compound of dietary beef, fish and chicken, on the regulation of cell adhesion and extravasation during metastasis.

Cell adhesion and extravasation abilities, and related regulating molecular mechanisms were analyzed in human colorectal cancer cells (HCT-116) and human umbilical vein cells (EA.hy926).

Carnosine reduced the ability of HCT-116 cells to adhere to EA.hy926 cells. The expression levels of integrin-β1 in HCT-116 cells, as well as of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 and E-selectin in EA.hy926 cells, were reduced after carnosine treatment. After EA.hy926 cells were treated with carnosine, phosphorylation of vascular endothelia-cadherin (VE-cadherin), protein levels of Ras homologous (RHO) and RHO-associated coiled-coil containing protein kinase, and levels of reactive oxygen species were reduced. After treating EA.hy926 cells with carnosine, phosphorylation of inhibitor of kappa B (IκB) and DNA binding activity of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) were reduced.

Carnosine inhibits metastatic cell adhesion and extravasation by suppressing NF-κB signaling activation.