<i>Scutellaria baicalensis</i> Induces Cell Apoptosis and Elicits Mesenchymal–Epithelial Transition to Alleviate Metastatic Hepatocellular Carcinoma via Modulating HSP90β

oleh: Tung-Ho Wu, Tung-Yi Lin, Pei-Ming Yang, Wen-Tai Li, Chau-Ting Yeh, Tai-Long Pan

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2024-03-01

Deskripsi

Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the most common malignant tumors in the world and shows strong metastatic potential. Current medicine for hepatocellular carcinoma therapy is invalid, while <i>Scutellaria baicalensis</i> Georgi exhibits the pharmaceutical potential to treat liver diseases and liver cancer. Herein, we verified the inhibitory properties and the pivotal molecules regimented by <i>Scutellaria baicalensis</i> on advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. At first, the viability of SK-Hep-1 cells was significantly reduced under treatment of <i>Scutellaria baicalensis</i> extract in a dose-dependent manner without affecting the growth of normal hepatocyte. <i>Scutellaria baicalensis</i> extract application could remarkably cause apoptosis of SK-Hep-1 cells through p53/cytochrome C/poly-ADP ribose polymerase cascades and arrest the cell cycle at the G1/S phase by downregulating cyclin-dependent kinases. Meanwhile, administration of <i>Scutellaria baicalensis</i> extract remarkably attenuated the migration capability as well as suppressed matrix metalloproteinase activity of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma cells. The proteome profiles and network analysis particularly implied that exposure to <i>Scutellaria baicalensis</i> extract downregulated the expression of HSP90β, and the clinical stage of hepatocellular carcinoma is also positively correlated with the HSP90β level. Combined treatment of <i>Scutellaria baicalensis</i> extract and HSP90β siRNAs could markedly enhance the ubiquitination activity and the degradation of vimentin to subsequently inhibit the metastatic property of SK-Hep-1 cells. Moreover, application of <i>Scutellaria baicalensis</i> extract and HSP90β siRNAs depleted phosphorylation of AKT, which stimulated the expression of p53 and consecutively triggered cell apoptosis. These findings suggest that HSP90β may be a prospective target for the effective therapy of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma via accelerating apoptosis of hepatocellular carcinoma cells and eliciting mesenchymal–epithelial transition with the administration of <i>Scutellaria baicalensis</i> extract.