Objective:
This study aimed to observe the effects of dihydroartemisinin (DHA) on the proliferation,
apoptosis, invasion, migration, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of the human
gastric cancer cell line SGC7901 cultured in vitro.
Methods:
We applied varying concentrations of DHA to SGC7901 cells. Cell proliferation was measured
using the cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8). Flow cytometry, Transwell invasion assay, and cell scratch
assay were used to investigate the cells’ apoptosis, invasion, and migration. Western blot was used to
assess the expression levels of EMT markers E-cadhein and Vimentin, protein kinases Akt and phosphorylated
AKT (p-AKT), and the cell transcription factor Snail.
Results:
DHA can effectively inhibit the malignant proliferation of gastric cancer cells in a time- and
dose-dependent manner. In this study, with longer incubation times and increased drug concentrations,
the antiproliferation effect of DHA on SGC7901 cells increased gradually (P<0.05). In addition, with
the increase of drug concentration, the expression levels of E-cadhein, an epithelial-mesenchymal transition
marker, remarkably increased, whereas the protein expression levels of the mesenchymal markers
Vimentin, Akt, p-Akt, and Snail significantly decreased (P<0.05).
Conclusion:
DHA can effectively inhibit the proliferation, invasion, and metastasis of the gastric cancer
cell line SGC7901 and induce cancer cell apoptosis. DHA can also downregulate PI3K/AKT and
Snail activities and inhibit the epithelial-mesenchymal transition of gastric cancer cells. The potential
anticancer effects of DHA deserve further investigation.
Gamma linolenic acid suppresses hypoxia-induced gastric cancer cell growth and epithelial-mesenchymal transition by inhibiting the Wnt/b-catenin signaling pathway
