Hedyotis Diffusa Willd. Extracts Inhibit the Proliferation and Migration of Ovarian Cancer Cells by Modulating the AKT/ERK Signaling Pathway

摘要

Hedyotis diffusa Willd. (HDW) is a traditional Chinese medicine used for the treatment of colorectal cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate the molecular mechanism of inhibitory effects of HDW on the growth of ovarian cancer cells. Treatment of ovarian cancer cells with increasing doses of HDW for 48 or 72h resulted in a significant reduction in the viability and colony formation of cancer cells. In HDW-treated cancer cells, the cell cycle was blocked at the G0/G1 phase and cell apoptosis was 4- to 5-fold higher than that of control group. HDW treatment also markedly inhibited the migration and invasion of ovarian cancer cells. Mechanistically, the phosphorylation levels of AKT and ERK were down-regulated in HDW-treated ovarian cancer cells. Therefore, HDW is likely to become a promising therapeutic agent for ovarian cancer treatment.