Naphtho[1,2-b]
furan-4,5-dione (
NFD), a bioactive component of Avicennia marina, has been demonstrated to display anti-
cancer activity.
Breast cancer is a highly malignant
carcinoma and most deaths of
breast cancer are caused by
metastasis. In this study, we showed that
NFD blocked migration and invasion of MDA-MB-231
breast cancer cells without affecting apoptosis or growth arrest.
NFD caused significant block of
Src kinase activity in MDA-MB-231 cells. Moreover,
NFD treatment was correlated with reduced phosphorylation of FAK at Tyr 576/577, 861 and 925 sites, p130(Cas) at Tyr 410, and
paxillin at Tyr 118.
NFD also suppressed the activation of
phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt. Consistent with inhibition of these signaling pathways and invasion,
NFD reduced the expression of
matrix metalloproteinase-9. Furthermore, Src antagonist PP2 caused a significant decrease in the phosphorylation of FAK, p130(Cas),
paxillin, and PI3K/Akt. Our findings provide evidences that
NFD inhibits Src-mediated signaling pathways involved in controlling
breast cancer migration and invasion, suggesting that it has a therapeutic potential in
breast cancer treatment.