Licochalcone A Inhibits Cellular Motility by Suppressing E-cadherin and MAPK Signaling in Breast Cancer

Abstract

A compound isolated from Glycyrrhiza uralensis, licochalcone A (LA) exhibits anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor properties in various cell lines. LA has been found to promote autophagy and suppress specificity protein 1, inducing apoptosis in breast cancer cells. However, the regulation of breast cancer cell invasion and migration by LA is elusive. Thus, the present study investigated whether LA induces apoptosis and cellular motility in MDA-MB-231 breast cells, and investigated the underlying molecular mechanisms. MDA-MB-231 cells treated with LA and cell viability measured by cell counting kit-8 assay. Apoptotic signal proteins checked by flow cytometry, fluorescent staining, and Western blot. LA effectively suppressed cell migration, and modulated E-cadherin and vimentin expression by blocking MAPK and AKT signaling. LA inhibited cell proliferation and cell cycle, modulated mitochondrial membrane potential and DNA damage, and reduced oxidative stress in MDA-MB-231 cells. LA also activated cleaved-caspase 3 and 9, significantly decreased Bcl-2 expression, ultimately causing the release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria into the cytoplasm. Overall, our findings suggest that LA decreases cell proliferation and increases reactive oxygen species production for induced apoptosis, and regulates E-cadherin and vimentin by reducing MAPK and AKT signaling, resulting in suppressed MDA-MB-231 cell migration and invasion.

Echinatin suppresses esophageal cancer tumor growth and invasion through inducing AKT/mTOR-dependent autophagy and apoptosis

“…Although the chemistry of licorice has been extensively studied, the active components that contribute to its biological functions are far from clear. Licochalcone A, another flavonoid isolated from licorice, has been reported to inhibit cell viability in non-small cell lung cancer and breast cancer 21 , 38 . Although echinatin and licochalcone A have similar structures 39 , the anticancer activity of echinatin has not been reported up to now 12 .…”

Luteolin Attenuates IL-1β-Induced THP-1 Adhesion to ARPE-19 Cells via Suppression of NF-κB and MAPK Pathways

“…We assessed the inhibitory effect of luteolin on cell viability using CCK-8 kits (Sigma-Aldrich) as described previously [ 35 ]. Cells were seeded at 10 5 cells/well into 96-well plates and treated with luteolin at concentrations of 1–100 μ M for 24 h. After treatment, the CCK-8 solution was added, and the plates were incubated at 37°C for 2 h. Finally, cell viability was measured at 450 nm using a microplate reader (Multiskan FC; Thermo, Waltham, MA, USA).…”

Protective Effects of Licochalcone A Ameliorates Obesity and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Via Promotion of the Sirt-1/AMPK Pathway in Mice Fed a High-Fat Diet

“…Licochalcone A is a chalcone isolated from Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch, and has multiple anti-oxidant, anti-tumor, and anti-inflammatory activities [15,16,17]. Licochalcone A prevented adipocyte differentiation and lipogenesis via suppressed PPAR-γ and SREBP-1c expression in 3T3-L1 adipocytes [18].…”