α-Mangostin suppresses the viability and epithelial-mesenchymal transition of pancreatic cancer cells by downregulating the PI3K/Akt pathway.

Abstract

α -Mangostin, a natural product isolated from the pericarp of the mangosteen fruit, has been shown to inhibit the growth of tumor cells in various types of cancers. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms are largely unclear. Here, we report that α -mangostin suppressed the viability and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of pancreatic cancer cells through inhibition of the PI3K/Akt pathway. Treatment of pancreatic cancer BxPc-3 and Panc-1 cells with α -mangostin resulted in loss of cell viability, accompanied by enhanced cell apoptosis, cell cycle arrest at G1 phase, and decrease of cyclin-D1. Moreover, Transwell and Matrigel invasion assays showed that α -mangostin significantly reduced the migration and invasion of pancreatic cancer cells. Consistent with these results, α -mangostin decreased the expression of MMP-2, MMP-9, N-cadherin, and vimentin and increased the expression of E-cadherin. Furthermore, we found that α -mangostin suppressed the activity of the PI3K/Akt pathway in pancreatic cancer cells as demonstrated by the reduction of the Akt phosphorylation by α -mangostin. Finally, α -mangostin significantly inhibited the growth of BxPc-3 tumor mouse xenografts. Our results suggest that α -mangostin may be potentially used as a novel adjuvant therapy or complementary alternative medicine for the management of pancreatic cancers.

• Authors: Qinhong Xu, Jiguang Ma, Jianjun Lei, Wanxing Duan, Liang Sheng, Xin Chen, Ang Hu, Zheng Wang, Zheng Wu, Erxi Wu, Qingyong Ma, Xuqi Li
• Journal: BioMed research international (Biomed Res Int) Vol. 2014 Pg. 546353 ( 2014) ISSN: 2314-6141 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 24812621 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Xanthones
• Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases
• Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
• mangostin

Topics

• Animals
• Apoptosis (drug effects, genetics)
• Cell Cycle Checkpoints (drug effects, genetics)
• Cell Line, Tumor
• Cell Movement (drug effects, genetics)
• Cell Proliferation (drug effects)
• Cell Survival (drug effects, genetics)
• Down-Regulation (drug effects)
• Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (drug effects)
• G1 Phase (drug effects, genetics)
• Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic (drug effects)
• Male
• Mice, Inbred BALB C
• Mice, Nude
• Neoplasm Invasiveness
• Pancreatic Neoplasms (enzymology, genetics, pathology)
• Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases (metabolism)
• Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt (metabolism)
• Resting Phase, Cell Cycle (drug effects, genetics)
• Signal Transduction (drug effects, genetics)
• Xanthones (pharmacology)