Saikosaponin A Inhibits Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Growth and Metastasis Through Downregulation of CXCR4

Ying Wang; Liang Zhao; Xianghui Han; Yahui Wang; Jinxia Mi; Changhong Wang; Duxin Sun; Yunfei Fu; Xiaodong Zhao; Haidong Guo; Qiangli Wang

doi:10.3389/fonc.2019.01487

Saikosaponin A Inhibits Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Growth and Metastasis Through Downregulation of CXCR4

Front Oncol. 2020 Jan 28:9:1487. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2019.01487. eCollection 2019.

Authors

Ying Wang¹, Liang Zhao², Xianghui Han³, Yahui Wang¹, Jinxia Mi⁴, Changhong Wang⁵, Duxin Sun⁶, Yunfei Fu¹, Xiaodong Zhao⁷, Haidong Guo⁸, Qiangli Wang⁸

Affiliations

¹ School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.
² Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Baoshan Luodian Hospital, Shanghai, China.
³ Institute of Chinese Traditional Surgery, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.
⁴ Science and Technology Center, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.
⁵ Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.
⁶ Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.
⁷ Department of Pathology, National Shanghai Center for New Drug Safety Evaluation and Research, Shanghai, China.
⁸ School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.

Abstract

Purpose: Due to a lack of recognized molecular targets for therapy, patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), unlike other subtypes of breast cancers, generally have not benefited from the advances made with targeted agents. The CXCR4/SDF-1 axis is involved in tumor growth and metastasis of TNBC. Therefore, down-regulation of the expression of CXCR4 in cancer cells is a potential therapeutic strategy for inhibiting primary tumor growth and metastasis of TNBC. In order to identify bioactive compounds that inhibit the expression of CXCR4 in traditional Chinese medicines, we investigated the capacity of saikosaponin A (SSA), one of the active ingredients isolated from Radix bupleuri, to affect CXCR4 expression and function in TNBC cells. Methods: Analyses of cell growth, migration, invasion, and protein expression were performed. Knockdowns by small interfering RNA (siRNA) and non-invasive bioluminescence were also used. Results: SSA reduced proliferation and colony formation of SUM149 and MDA-MB-231 cells. SSA inhibited migration and invasion of TNBC cells. For mice, SSA inhibited primary tumor growth and reduced lung metastasis of highly metastatic, triple-negative 4T1-luc cells. SSA inhibited CXCR4 expression but did not regulate CXCR7 expression in vitro and in vivo. The inhibitory effects on the migration and invasion of TNBC cells were reversed by down-regulation of CXCR4 expression. In addition, SSA inactivated the Akt/mTOR signaling pathway and inhibited MMP-9 and MMP-2 expression. Conclusions: The results show that SSA exerts an anti-TNBC effect through the inhibition of CXCR4 expression and thus has the potential to be a candidate therapeutic agent for TNBC patients.

Keywords: SDF-1/CXCR4 axis; metastasis; natural product; saikosaponin A; triple-negative breast cancer.