Osteosarcoma (OS) is a type of malignant primary
bone cancer, which is highly aggressive and occurs more commonly in children and adolescents. Thus, novel potential drugs and therapeutic methods are urgently needed. In the present study, we aimed to elucidate the effects and mechanism of
melatonin on OS cells to provide a potential treatment strategy for OS. The cell survival rate, cell viability, proliferation, migration, invasion and
metastasis were examined by
trypan blue assay, MTT, colony formation, wound healing, transwell invasion and attachment/detachment assay, respectively. The expression of relevant lncRNAs in OS cells was determined by real-time qPCR analysis. The functional roles of
lncRNA JPX in OS cells were further examined by gain and loss of function assays. The
protein expression was measured by western blot assay.
Melatonin inhibited the cell viability, proliferation, migration, invasion and
metastasis of OS cells (Saos-2, MG63 and U2OS) in a dose-dependent manner.
Melatonin treatment significantly downregulated the expression of
lncRNA JPX in Saos-2, MG63 and U2OS cells. Overexpression of
lncRNA JPX into OS cell lines elevated the cell viability and proliferation, which was accompanied by the increased
metastasis. We also found that
melatonin inhibited the OS progression by suppressing the expression of
lncRNA JPX via regulating the Wnt/β-
catenin pathway. Our results suggested that
melatonin inhibited the
biological functions of OS cells by repressing the expression of
lncRNA JPX through regulating the Wnt/β-
catenin signalling pathway, which indicated that
melatonin might be applied as a potentially useful and effective natural agent in the treatment of OS.