Background: Xanthomicrol is one of the methoxylated flavones and a promising cancer chemopreventive agent, but its anti-migration and anti-invasion ability on human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unknown.
Objectives: This study aims to explore Xanthomicrol's effects on migration and invasion ability of the human HCC Huh7 cell line.
Methods: Viability of Huh7 cells was measured by cell counting kit-8 (CCK8) assay. Cell apoptosis was assayed with flow cytometry analysis. The ability of migration and invasion of Huh7 cells was then detected through Transwell assays. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related proteins were also detected through Western blot.
Key findings: Xanthomicrol inhibits the migration and invasion of Huh7 cells. The overexpression of Μu-opioid receptor (MOR) increases Huh7 cells' proliferation and enhances migration and invasion ability, while xanthomicrol treatment decreases the expression of MOR. Moreover, xanthomicrol can reverse migration, invasion and EMT-related protein expression by overexpressed MOR.
Conclusions: These results suggest that xanthomicrol is a potential MOR antagonist, and it possesses potent anti-migration and anti-invasion ability on Huh7 cells.
Keywords: Huh7 cells; Xanthomicrol; invasion; migration; Μu opioid receptor.
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