Shikonin inhibits the proliferation of cervical cancer cells via FAK/AKT/GSK3β signalling

Xu,Ziyan; Huang,Liru; Zhang,Tiantian; Liu,Yuwei; Fang,Fang; Wu,Xinyue; Chen,Wen; Lan,Lingning; Zhang,Yangbo; Li,Na; Hu,Ping

doi:10.3892/ol.2022.13424

Shikonin inhibits the proliferation of cervical cancer cells via FAK/AKT/GSK3β signalling

Authors:
- Ziyan Xu
- Liru Huang
- Tiantian Zhang
- Yuwei Liu
- Fang Fang
- Xinyue Wu
- Wen Chen
- Lingning Lan
- Yangbo Zhang
- Na Li
- Ping Hu
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Affiliations: Institute of Translational Medicine, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330001, P.R. China, Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jiangxi Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, P.R. China, Queen Mary School, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330001, P.R. China, Jiangxi Institute of Respiratory Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, P.R. China, Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, P.R. China, Department of Stomatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, P.R. China
Published online on: July 8, 2022 https://doi.org/10.3892/ol.2022.13424
Article Number: 304
Copyright: © Xu et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License.

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Abstract

Cervical cancer is one of the most lethal malignancies of the female reproductive system. Shikonin, a naphthoquinone pigment extracted from the traditional medicinal herb, Lithospermum erythrorhizon, has been demonstrated to exert significant inhibitory effects on a variety of tumours in vitro and in vivo. In the present study, the effects of shikonin on cervical cancer and the underlying mechanisms were investigated. The effects of shikonin on the viability on HeLa and SiHa cervical cancer cells was examined using cell counting kit (CCK‑8) and colony formation assays. Immunofluorescence assay was performed to detect the levels of the proliferation‑related protein, Ki67. Western blot analysis was utilized to measure the phosphorylated and total expression levels of proteins, including focal adhesion kinase (FAK), AKT, and glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β). Cell migration was determined by using wound healing assay. Metastasis‑associated 1 (MTA1), TGFβ1 and VEGF mRNA expression levels were determined using reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR. It was demonstrated that, shikonin inhibited cervical cancer cell proliferation and migration. The data of the present study revealed that shikonin inhibited the proliferation of HeLa and SiHa cells in a concentration‑ and time‑dependent manner. Mechanistically, shikonin blocked the proliferation of cervical cancer cells by downregulating the phosphorylation of FAK, AKT and GSK3β induced by EGF. In addition, shikonin significantly suppressed cell migration and reduced the expression of migration‑related proteins, including MTA1, TGFβ1 and VEGF. On the whole, the present study demonstrates that shikonin may exert an inhibitory effect on the cervical cancer cell proliferation and migration through the FAK/AKT/GSK3β signaling pathway. These findings suggest that shikonin may function as a potential therapeutic drug for the treatment of cervical cancer.

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