Open Access

ARTICLE

Matrine Inhibits Neuroblastoma Cell Proliferation and Migration by Enhancing Tribbles 3 Expression

Xiaowei Shen^*1, Jianping Huang^†1, Gang Liu^†, Hao Zhang^†, Xiwei Zhang^†, Xiancheng Kong^†, Lei Du^†

* Department of General Surgery, the Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University, Qingpu Branch, Shanghai, P.R. China
† Department of General Surgery, Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, P.R. China
1 These authors provided equal contribution to this work and are co-first authors.

Oncology Research 2018, 26(7), 1133-1142. https://doi.org/10.3727/096504018X15168461629558

Abstract

Neuroblastoma is a major contributor of cancer-specific mortality. Although remarkable enhancement has been achieved in the treatment of neuroblastoma in patients with early stage disease, limited progress has been made in the treatment of patients with high-risk neuroblastoma. Thus, innovative approaches are required to achieve further improvements in neuroblastoma patient survival outcomes. The major alkaloid obtained from Sophora flavescens Ait, matrine, has been shown to counteract malignancy in various kinds of cancers. In the current study, we evaluated the effects of matrine on the migration and proliferation of neuroblastoma cells. Cell cycle analysis coupled with Transwell and wound healing experiments showed that matrine triggers G₂/M cell cycle arrest and suppresses neuroblastoma migration. This effect of matrine is due to upregulation of TRB3 expression followed by inhibition of the PI3K/AKT activation. Consistent with the in vitro data, growth of xenograft cancer was also suppressed by matrine. Our results indicate that matrine inhibits neuroblastoma cell proliferation and migration by enhancing TRB3 expression, suggesting that matrine may serve as a promising agent for the treatment of neuroblastoma.

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