licochalcone-a and Neoplasm-Metastasis

Licochalcone A, a major phenolic constituent of the licorice species Glycyrrhiza inflata, has been proven to possess various biological benefits including anti-cancer activity. However, the detailed effects and molecular mechanisms of licochalcone A on the invasiveness and metastasis of oral cancer cells have not been fully understood. Thus, SCC-25 oral cancer cells were subjected to a treatment with licochalcone A at indicated concentrations (25, 50, and 100 μg/mL) for 36 h and then analyzed for the effect of licochalcone A on the cell migration and invasion. In vitro assays, including wound healing, cell adhesion, and cell invasion/migration assays, revealed that licochalcone A treatment significantly inhibited the cell migration/invasion capacities of SCC-25 cells. Also, results of zymography and Western blotting showed that activity and protein level of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) was suppressed, but TIMP-2 level was increased, indicating the important role of MMP-2 and TIPM-2 in anti-metastatic regulation of SCC-25 cells. Furthermore, licochalcone A was shown to suppress the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signal, as evidenced by the decreased expression of phosphorylated p65 (p-65) protein in licochalcone A-treated SCC-25 cells. Notably, we also found that licochalcone A treatment increased the expression of the epithelial marker E-cadherin and decreased the expression of mesenchymal markers N-cadherin in SCC-25 cells. This is the first report describing the effects and possible mechanisms of licochalcone A on tumor invasion and metastasis of SCC-25 cells. Taken together, our findings support that licochalcone A can be developed to a potent anti-metastatic candidate for oral cancer therapy.

Topics: Cadherins; Cell Adhesion; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Movement; Chalcones; Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition; Humans; Matrix Metalloproteinase 2; Mouth Neoplasms; Neoplasm Invasiveness; Neoplasm Metastasis; NF-kappa B; Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-2; Wound Healing

The aim of this study was to determine whether the ethanol extract of roasted licorice (rLE) could inhibit breast cancer-mediated bone destruction. rLE treatment reduced the viability of MDA-MB-231 human metastatic breast cancer cells but did not show any cytotoxicity in hFOB1.19 human osteoblastic cells and murine bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMMs). rLE inhibited expression and secretion of receptor activator of nuclear factor κB ligand (RANKL) as well as the mRNA and protein expression of cyclooxygenase-2 in osteoblastic cells exposed to the conditioned medium of breast cancer cells. rLE dramatically inhibited RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis in BMMs, thereby reducing osteoclast-mediated pit formation. Moreover, treatment with licochalcone A and isoliquiritigenin as the active components, whose contents are increased by the roasting process, remarkably suppressed RANKL-induced osteoclast formation in BMMs, respectively. Furthermore, orally administered rLE substantially blocked tumor growth and bone destruction in mice inoculated with breast cancer cells in the tibiae. Serum levels of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase and C-terminal cross-linking telopeptide of type I collagen and trabecular bone morphometric parameters were reversed to almost the same levels as the control mice by the rLE treatment. In conclusion, rLE may be a beneficial agent for preventing and treating bone destruction in patients with breast cancer.

Topics: Acid Phosphatase; Animals; Bone and Bones; Bone Neoplasms; Bone Resorption; Breast Neoplasms; Cell Line, Tumor; Chalcones; Cyclooxygenase 2; Female; Glycyrrhiza; Humans; Isoenzymes; Macrophages; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Mice, Inbred ICR; Neoplasm Metastasis; Osteoblasts; Osteoclasts; Plant Extracts; RANK Ligand; Tartrate-Resistant Acid Phosphatase