Hispolon has been demonstrated to possess analgesic, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities. However, whether hispolon prevents the invasion of breast carcinoma cells and the underlying mechanisms of its action remain unknown. In the present study, various assays, including a matrigel-based Transwell invasion assay and electrophoretic mobility shift assay, were used to investigate the anti-invasion effect of hispolon and explore its mechanism of action. The results revealed that hispolon inhibited the 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced migration and invasion of MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells at non-toxic concentrations. Hispolon also prevented the TPA-induced secretion of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and reduced its expression at the transcriptional and translational levels. Furthermore, the phosphorylation of IκBα was reduced by hispolon, which resulted in the suppression of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), and p65 phosphorylation and nuclear translocation. An electrophoretic mobility shift assay demonstrated that NF-κB DNA-binding activity was induced by TPA and inhibited by hispolon. In addition, Bay 11-7082, which is a specific inhibitor of NF-κB, functioned in a similar manner as hispolon and blocked the secretion and expression of MMP-9. In conclusion, the results of the present study indicated that hispolon inhibited TPA-induced migration and invasion of MDA-MB-231 cells by reducing the secretion and expression of MMP-9 through the NF-κB signaling pathway.
Keywords: MDA-MB-231 cancer cells; hispolon; invasion; matrix metalloproteinase-9; nuclear factor-κB.