Homoharringtonine suppresses tumor proliferation and migration by regulating EphB4-mediated β-catenin loss in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Abstract

Overexpressed EphB4 conduce to tumor development and is regarded as a potential anticancer target. Homoharringtonine (HHT) has been approved for hematologic malignancies treatment, but its effect on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has not been studied. This study elucidated HHT could restrain the proliferation and migration of HCC via an EphB4/β-catenin-dependent manner. We found that the antiproliferative activity of HHT in HCC cells and tumor xenograft was closely related to EphB4 expression. In HepG2, Hep3B and SMMC-7721 cells, EphB4 overexpression or EphrinB2 Fc stimulation augmented HHT-induced inhibitory effect on cell growth and migration ability, and such effect was abrogated when EphB4 was knocked down. The similar growth inhibitory effect of HHT was observed in SMMC-7721 and EphB4+/SMMC-7721 cells xenograft in vivo. Preliminary mechanistic investigation indicated that HHT directly bound to EphB4 and suppressed its expression. Data obtained from HCC patients revealed increased β-catenin expression and a positive correlation between EphB4 expression and β-catenin levels. HHT-induced EphB4 suppression promoted the phosphorylation and loss of β-catenin, which triggered regulation of β-catenin downstream signaling related to migration, resulting in the reversion of EMT in TGF-β-induced HepG2 cells. Collectively, this study provided a groundwork for HHT as an effective antitumor agent for HCC in an EphB4/β-catenin-dependent manner.

• Authors: Man Zhu, Zhengyan Gong, Qing Wu, Qi Su, Tianfeng Yang, Runze Yu, Rui Xu, Yanmin Zhang
• Journal: Cell death & disease (Cell Death Dis) Vol. 11 Issue 8 Pg. 632 (08 14 2020) ISSN: 2041-4889 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 32801343 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Cadherins
• EPHB4 protein, human
• Transforming Growth Factor beta
• beta Catenin
• Homoharringtonine
• Receptor, EphB4

Topics

• Animals
• Cadherins (metabolism)
• Carcinoma, Hepatocellular (pathology)
• Cell Movement (drug effects)
• Cell Nucleus (drug effects, metabolism)
• Cell Proliferation (drug effects)
• Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (drug effects)
• Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic (drug effects)
• Hep G2 Cells
• Homoharringtonine (chemistry, pharmacology)
• Humans
• Liver Neoplasms (pathology)
• Male
• Mice, Nude
• Phosphorylation (drug effects)
• Protein Transport (drug effects)
• Receptor, EphB4 (metabolism)
• Transforming Growth Factor beta (pharmacology)
• beta Catenin (metabolism)