Wogonin, an active ingredient of Chinese herb medicine Scutellaria baicalensis, inhibits the mobility and invasion of human gallbladder carcinoma GBC-SD cells by inducing the expression of maspin

Ethnopharmacological relevance

A traditional Chinese medicine Scutellaria baicalensis is prescribed for the treatment of a variety of inflammatory diseases and tumors in clinic in China. However, the detailed mechanism of anti-metastasis effect of wogonin, a main active ingredient of Scutellaria baicalensis, remains elusive.

Aim of the study

The present study was designed to investigate the action and mechanism of wogonin on the mobility and invasion of human gallbladder carcinoma GBC-SD cells.

Materials and methods

Viability, apoptosis, mRNA and protein expression of tumor cells were analyzed by MTT, Annexin V staining, real-time PCR and Western blot, respectively. The migration and invasion assay was used to evaluate the anti-metastasis effect of wogonin. Knockdown of maspin was performed by specific small interference RNA.

Results

Wogonin at the dose of 1-10 μM, which did not induce apoptosis, significantly inhibited the mobility and invasion activity of human gallbladder carcinoma GBC-SD cells. In addition, the expressions of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, MMP-9 and phosphorylated extracellular regulated protein kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) but not phosphorylated Akt were dramatically suppressed by wogonin in a concentration-dependent manner. Furthermore, the metastasis suppressor maspin was confirmed as the downstream target of wogonin. Both maspin mRNA and protein were upregulated by wogonin. Interestingly, the knockdown of maspin resulted in almost completely blocking of wogonin-induced inhibition of MMP-2, MMP-9 and phosphorylated ERK1/2 as well as the mobility and invasion activity of GBC-SD cells.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that wogonin inhibits cell mobility and invasion by upregulating the metastasis suppressor maspin. Together, these data provide novel insights into the chemoprotective effect of wogonin, a main active ingredient of Chinese medicine Scutellaria baicalensis.