Antitumor Studies of Earthworm Fibrinolytic Enzyme Component A from Eisenia foetida on Breast Cancer Cell Line MCF-7

Abstract

Liu, et al.: Antitumor Studies of Earthworm Fibrinolytic Enzyme Component A on MCF-7Earthworm fibrinolytic enzyme from Chinese earthworm Eisenia foetida was isolated to investigate its antitumor activity in breast cancer cells. The protein isolated was characterised as earthworm fibrinolytic enzyme using the fibrin plate method. The molecular weight of earthworm fibrinolytic enzyme component was determined to be 25 kDa by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis assay using a standard protein ladder. Earthworm fibrinolytic enzyme can markedly inhibit the growth and migration of MCF-7 cells in a dose and time-dependent manner. In addition, MCF-7 cells treated with earthworm fibrinolytic enzyme (40 μg/ml) began to undergo apoptosis after 24 h. Expression of focal adhesion kinase and CD44v6 measured using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and Western blot was down-regulated in a concentration-dependent manner (20-80 μg/ml), resulting in the suppression of MCF-7 cells adhesion. The obtained earthworm fibrinolytic enzyme displayed an antitumor effect on MCF-7 cells in vitro, revealing the therapeutic potential of E. foetida.

Antitumor activity and apoptotic action of coelomic fluid from the earthworm Dendrobaena veneta against A549 human lung cancer cells

“…Earthworm coelomic fluid and extracts showed antibacterial and antifungal activities (7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17) as well as antiviral action (18). Earthworm tissues, extracts, or isolated fractions and compounds exhibited anticancer activity toward different cancer cell lines (19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26). The development of research on the antimicrobial activity in earthworms has gained momentum over the last few years, while the anticancer activity has been reported in few studies.…”

Coelomic Fluid of Eisenia fetida Ameliorates Cetuximab to Reduce K‐Ras and Vimentin Expression through Promoting RUNX3 in an AOM/DSS‐Induced Colitis Associated Colon Cancer

“…Coelomic fluid has been known to be used as a therapy for several diseases because it has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antibacterial, and antitumor effects [7]. Biological substances contained coelomic fluid including lectin [8] and earthworm fibrinolytic enzyme also known as lumbrokinase [26,29,30]. Lectins have been proven to be used as anticancer in the MCF-7 cell line via the MAPK pathway by targeting EGFR to induce cell apoptosis [25].…”

“…A previous in vitro and in vivo study has shown that earthworm fibrinolytic enzyme component A from Eisenia fetida could effectively inhibit the proliferation of MCF-7 cells. Another study showed that earthworm fibrinolytic enzyme has significant antitumor activity by inhibiting the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) [30]. MMP-2 (gelatinase A) and MMP-9 (gelatinase B) are both cancer associated.…”

“…Gelatinase cleave many targets that regulate key signaling in cell growth, migration, invasion, inflammation, and angiogenesis [ 31 ]. So it is possible that there might be a change in MMP expression via activation of RUNX3 signaling [ 30 ]. Downregulation of β -catenin expression can cause a decrease in vimentin expression, and this is also in accordance with our results (Figures 2 and 5 ).…”

“…Recently, a glycosylated component is separated from the earthworm E. fetida by Liu et al [30], which has relations with apoptosis of tumor cells. It is identified to be a plasmin and also a plasminogen activator.…”