ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of chloroxoquinoline on cytoskeleton of breast cancer cells and its relation with Rho/Rho kinase signaling pathway. METHODS: Breast cancer Bcap37 and MDA-MB-453 cells were treated with different concentrations of chloroxoquinoline. Wound healing and Transwell assay were conducted to detect cell migration and invasion, respectively. Rhodamine-phalloidin staining and immunofluorescent staining were used to observe the polymerization state of F-actin and the expression of α-Tublin in breast cancer cells, respectively. Western blot was used to detect the phosphorylation level of key protein in Rho/Rho kinase signaling pathway. RESULTS Compared with the control group, chloroxoquinoline treatment induced dose-dependent decrease in cell migration and invasion, and Bcap37 and MDA-MB-453 cells treated with chloroxoquinoline showed dose-dependent changes in cell morphology and decrease in cell body. The staining of F-actin and α-Tublin was irregular and clustered. Furthermore, treatment of chloroxoquinoline down-regulated the phosphorylation of the Rho/Rho kinase signaling proteins Cofilin, Limk and Rock2 (all P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS Chloroxoquinoline inhibits the cytoskeleton in breast cancer Bcap37 and MDA-MB-453 cells and inhibits cell migration. This effect may be associated with down-regulation of Rho/Rho kinase signaling pathway.