Inhibitory growth effect of honokiol and TGF-β1/p38 MAPK/Hippo signaling pathway in human colon cancer cells / 中国药理学通报

ABSTRACT

Aim To investigate the molecular mechanisms and inhibitory effect of honokiol (HNK) on the proliferation of colon cancer SW620 cells. Methods Crystal violet staining, flow cytometry and Western blot assays were used to for the detection of the effect of HNK on inhibiting the proliferation and promoting apoptosis on SW620 cells. Western blot was used to study the effect of HNK on the protein levels of TGF-β1 and analyze the effect of HNK on the phosphorylation of p38 MAPK, as well as the effect of HNK combined with exogenous adenoviruses of TGF-β1 and its inhibitor on the phosphorylation of p38 MAPK in SW620 cells. Western blot was also used to analyze the effect of HNK on the phosphorylation of YAP and analyze the possible relationship between HNK phosphorylation of p38 MAPK and YAP. Results HNK significantly inhibited the proliferation of SW620 cells and induced apoptosis, and up-regulated the expression levels of TGF-β1. Western blotting showed that HNK up-regu- lated the expression levels of phosphorylated p38 in SW620 cells. Meanwhile, HNK increased the protein levels of phosphorylated YAP. The exogenous adenoviruses of TGF-β1 and its inhibitor significantly enhanced or inhibited this effect, respectively. Conclusions HNK has obvious antiproliferative effect, which might be due to the up-regulation of TGF- (31 expression and up-regulation of phosphorylated YAP expression by activating the p38 MAPK signaling pathway.