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Horm Metab Res 2014; 46(08): 556-560
DOI: 10.1055/s-0034-1367077
Endocrine Research
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Matrine-Induced Apoptosis of Human Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Cells via In Vitro Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-A/Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase1/2 Pathway Inactivation

M. Xie
1   Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, P. R. China
,
G. He
1   Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, P. R. China
,
R. Wang
2   Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, First people’s Hospital of Yibin, Yibin, P. R. China
,
S. Shi
1   Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, P. R. China
,
J. Chen
3   Department of Physiology, Guilin Medical University, Guilin, P. R. China
,
Y. Ye
4   Department of Emergency, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, P. R. China
,
L. Xie
1   Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, P. R. China
,
X. Yi
1   Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, P. R. China
,
A. Tang
1   Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, P. R. China
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

received 17 November 2013

accepted 15 January 2014

Publication Date:
19 February 2014 (online)

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Abstract

Matrine, a main active extract from Sophora flavescens Ait, has been demonstrated to exert anticancer effects on various cancer cell lines, such as malignant melanoma, breast cancer, and lung cancer. However, it is currently unclear whether matrine could also elicit an inhibitory effect on growth of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), let alone the possible molecular mechanisms. Therefore, in a previous study, we investigated matrine-induced proliferation inhibition and apoptosis in NPC cells. It was shown that proliferation of human NPC cells (CNE1 and CNE2) was significantly diminished by matrine in a dose- and time-dependent manner, and apoptosis was induced in both 2 NPC cells, particularly in CNE2 cells. Moreover, the increased apoptosis rate in matrine-treated CNE2 cells confirmed the proapoptotic activity of matrine. We further found that matrine treatment dose- and time-dependently reduced the levels of vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A), and inactivated extracellular signal-regulated kinase1/2 (ERK1/2), followed by increased expression of downstream target caspase-3. Overall, we conclude that matrine could induce apoptosis of human NPC cells via VEGF-A/ERK1/2 pathway, which supports the potential use of matrine in clinically treating NPC.

Key words

matrine - nasopharyngeal carcinoma - MAPK - VEGF-A - ERK1/2
 

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