ABSTRACT
Aim To explore the mechanisms of action (MOA) of synergistic anticancer function in the combination of berberine and evodiamine.Methods We first analyzed the action of suppression in the drug combination from the cell level and validated the dose scope as well as ratio of concentration in synergistic effects of drug combination.Then, the miRNA chip of liver cancer cell BEL-7402 under different treatment was analyzed.By building the miRNA-mRNA network, the MOA of the synergistic drug combination was illustrated.Results Berberine and evodiamine used in combination could significantly synergistically suppress the proliferative ability of liver cancer cells.The special differentially expressed miRNAs (DEmiRNAs) mainly participated in some cancer proliferation-related pathways and biological processes, such as MAPK signaling pathway, endocytosis pathway and insulin signaling pathway.The special target genes influenced by the drug combination not only covered three kinds of membrane receptors, but also took part in the regulation of downstream pathways.Conclusions From the regulation of miRNAs, it is clear that berberine may play a primary role in the synergistical suppression activity of the drug combination in cancer cells.The discovery of synergistic MOA in the combination of berberine and evodiamine from the miRNA level will provide a new guidance to explore more synergistic drug combinations in the future.