Hedyotis diffusa willd extract suppresses colorectal cancer growth through multiple cellular pathways

Feng,Jianyu; Jin,Yiyi; Peng,Jun; Wei,Lihui; Cai,Qiaoyan; Yan,Zhaokun; Lai,Zijun; Lin,Jiumao

doi:10.3892/ol.2017.7244

Hedyotis diffusa willd extract suppresses colorectal cancer growth through multiple cellular pathways

Authors:
- Jianyu Feng
- Yiyi Jin
- Jun Peng
- Lihui Wei
- Qiaoyan Cai
- Zhaokun Yan
- Zijun Lai
- Jiumao Lin
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Affiliations: Biomedical Research Center of Academy of Integrative Medicine of Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, Fujian 350122, P.R. China
Published online on: October 20, 2017 https://doi.org/10.3892/ol.2017.7244
Pages: 8197-8205

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Abstract

The development of colorectal cancer (CRC) is strongly associated with the imbalance of various intracellular signal transduction cascades, including protein kinase B (AKT), mitogen‑activated protein kinase 1 (MAPK), signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), as well as crosstalk between these signaling networks. At present, anti‑tumor agents are often single‑targeted and therefore are not always therapeutically effective. Moreover, long‑term use of these anti‑tumor agents often generates drug resistance and potential side effects. These problems highlight the urgent need for the development of novel and more effective anti‑cancer drugs. Hedyotis diffusa Willd (HDW) has been used as a major component in traditional Chinese medicine for the clinical treatment of colorectal cancer, with a limited number of adverse effects. However, the molecular mechanisms, which underlie its anti‑cancer activity, still require further elucidation. In the present study, using xenograft models and various different human CRC cell lines, the efficacy of the ethanol extract of HDW (EEHDW) against tumor growth was evaluated, and its underlying molecular mechanisms of action were investigated. It was demonstrated that EEHDW was able to inhibit cancer growth in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, EEHDW was able to suppress the activation of several CRC‑associated signaling pathways and was able to regulate the expression of various inflammatory and angiogenic factors. This resulted in the induction of apoptosis and inhibition of cellular proliferation, as well as tumor angiogenesis. The present study demonstrated that EEHDW is able to exhibit anti‑cancer activity due to its ability to affect multiple intracellular targets, which suggests that it may be a novel multi‑potent therapeutic agent for the treatment of colorectal cancer.

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