Effect of saikosaponins-b2 on migration of HepG2 cells and expressions of angiogenesis-related proteins / 中国药理学与毒理学杂志

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of saikosaponins-b2 (SS-b2) on the migration of HepG2 cells, and to explore its potential molecular mechanism. METHODS: The effect of SS-b2 on the viability of HepG2 cells was detected by MTT method before the cells were divided into normal control group, SS-b2 (15, 30 and 60 mg·L-1) groups and positive control [doxorubicin (DOX) 2 mg·L-1] group according to the results of MTT. Wound-healing assay was performed to observe the influence of SS-b2 on the migration of HepG2 cells. The protein expressions of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2), MMP-9, hypoxia inducible factor-lot (HIF-1α) and the phosphorylation of extracellular regulated protein kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) in HepG2 cells were measured by Western blotting. RESULTS: The wound-healing rate was 74.71%, 72.50% and 66.82% after treatment with SS-b2 15, 30 and 60 mg·L-1for 48 h, respectively. The wound-healing rate decreased significantly with the increae of SS-b2 doses. Compared with the normal control group, the wound-healing rate of SS-b2 30 and 60 mg·L-1was significantly reduced (P<0.05). The expressions of VEGF and HIF-1α in HepG2 cells were significantly decreased in SS-b2 groups (P<0.05, P<0.01). SS-b2 60 mg·L-1could reduce the protein expressions of MMP-2 and MMP-9 and the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 significantly (P< 0.05, P<0.01). The positive control group could significantly reduce the expressions of the above four proteins and the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 (P<0.05, P<0.01). Compared with the positive control group, the protein expressions of VEGF and MMP-2 were significantly down-regulated in 60 mg·L-1SS-b2 group (PO.05, P<0.01), but there was no significant difference in the expression of HIF-1α between SS-b2 groups and the positive control group. However, the down-regulation effect of SS-b2 on MMP-9 protein expression was not so significant as in the positive control group (P<0.01). The effect of SS-b2 60 mg·L-1on the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 was similar to that of the positive control group. CONCLUSION: SS-b2 can inhibit the migration of HepG2 cells, which may be related to the inhibition of angiogenesis-related proteins.