Britannin inhibits hepatocellular carcinoma development and metastasis through the GSK-3β/β-catenin signaling pathway
Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) stands out as a significant contributor of cancer-related death. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) presents numerous advantages in the treatment of HCC. Britannin, a pivotal compound found in Inulae Flos, demonstrates pharmacological effects against various cancers, yet research on its specific impact on anti-hepatocellular carcinoma remains limited. Purpose This study aims to explore both the anti-hepatocellular carcinoma effects of britannin and its underlying mechanism of action. Methods MTT assay, clone formation assay and flow cytometry were utilized to detect the cell activity, proliferation ability and apoptosis of britannin against HCC cell lines. Cell migration and invasion abilities of britannin on HCC cell lines were evaluated by wound-healing assay and transwell migration and invasion assay. H22 xenografted tumor mouse model was constructed and britannin treatment was performed to observe the effect of britannin on HCC tumor. The expression levels of liver cancer biomarkers AFP, AFP-L3, APT and TGF-β were detected by Elisa, and the histopathology was observed by HE staining. Network pharmacology and molecular docking were used to predict the possible signaling pathway of anti- hepatocellular carcinoma effect of britannin. The surface plasmon resonance (SPR) experiments was used to verify the interaction between britannin and proteins. The cell kinase activity function experiment was employed to detect the effect of britannin on enzyme activity. RT-qPCR and Western-Blot were used to verify the effect of britannin on the mRNA expressions of key genes and protein levels related to GSK-3β/β-catenin pathway in hepatocellular carcinoma cells and tumor tissues in mice. Results In vitro experiments showed that britannin could inhibit the activity, proliferation, migration and invasion abilities of HCC cells, while promoting their apoptosis. In vivo experiments revealed that britannin exerted inhibitory effects on the growth of transplanted liver cancer tumors, reducing the inflammatory infiltration and the expression levels of AFP, AFP-L3, APT and TGF-β of liver cancer markers in transplanted mice. Network pharmacology and molecular docking predicted that cell adhesion factors and GSK-3β/β-catenin pathway might be the related signaling pathway and had potential docking activity with key proteins. The SPR experiments elucidated the molecular interaction between britannin and GSK-3β. Enzyme activity assays indicated that britannin could modulate the functional activity of GSK-3β kinase. RT-qPCR suggested britannin could regulate the mRNA expressions of β-catenin, GSK-3β, E-cadherin and N-Cadherin. Western-Blot further verified that britannin could significantly up-regulate the expression of GSK-3β and down-regulate the expression of p -GSK-3β and β-catenin. At the same time, the expression of E-cadherin increased and N-Cadherin decreased, thereby reducing the occurrence of EMT and inhibiting the metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma. Conclusion In conclusion, britannin could inhibit the growth, development and metastasis of HCC, and its mechanism may be related to the regulation of GSK-3β/β-catenin signaling pathway to inhibit epithelial-mesenchymal transition of HCC.
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