Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant
tumors, and there is currently a lack of effective treatment options to control the
metastasis. This study was performed to examine the mechanisms of the migration and invasion characteristics of HCC, with the aim of reducing
metastasis by inhibiting
cancer cell migration and invasion. In this study, we used
Stellettin B, an active compound isolated from Stelletta sponges, as the experimental
drug and evaluated its inhibition effects on cell migration and invasion in human
hepatoma cells (HA22T and HepG2). MTT assay,
gelatin zymography, and western blotting were employed. The results showed that
Stellettin B significantly inhibited the
protein expressions of MMP-2, MMP-9, and uPA, while upregulating the
protein expressions of
TIMP-1 and
TIMP-2. The expressions of p-FAK, p-PI3K, p-AKT, p-mTOR, and MAPKs (p-JNK, p-JUN, p-MAPKp38, and p-ERK) were decreased with increasing concentrations of
Stellettin B. Our results suggest that
Stellettin B-dependent downregulation of MMP-2 and MMP-9 activities could be mediated by FAK/PI3K/AKT/mTOR and MAPKs signaling pathways in HA22T and HepG2 cells, preventing HCC invasion and migration.