Bis demethoxycurcumin Suppresses Migration and Invasion of Human Cervical Cancer HeLa Cells via Inhibition of NF-ĸB, MMP-2 and -9 Pathways

Abstract

Background/aim: Bisdemethoxycurcumin (BDMC) exhibits biological activities including anticancer and anti-metastasis in human cancer cell lines, but there is no available information to show whether BDMC suppresses cell migration and invasion of human cervical cancer cells.

Materials and methods: Wound-healing, migration, invasion, zymography, and western blotting assays were used to investigate the effects of BDMC on HeLa cells in vitro.

Results: BDMC reduced the total viable cell number in a dose-dependent manner. The wound-healing assay show BDMC suppressed the movement of HeLa cells. Furthermore, the trans-well chamber assays showed that BDMC suppressed the cell migration and invasion. Gelatin zymograph assay showed that BDMC did not inhibit matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and -9 activities in vitro. However, western blotting assay showed that BDMC significantly reduced protein levels of growth factor receptor-bound protein 2 (GRB2), Ras homolog gene family, member A (Rho A), urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA), RAS, MMP-2, and N-cadherin but increased those of phosphor-extracellular-signal related kinase (p-ERK1/2), E-cadherin and nuclear factor-ĸB (NF-ĸB) in HeLa cells. Confocal laser microscopy assay was used to further confirm BDMC increased NF-ĸB when compared to controls.

Conclusion: BDMC may have potential as a novel anti-metastasis agent for the treatment of human cervical cancer.

Keywords: BDMC; Bisdemethoxycurcumin; HeLa human cervical cancer cells; NF-ĸB p65; invasion; migration.