Anti-metastasis effect of thymoquinone on human pancreatic cancer.
- Author:
Zhi-Hao WU
1
;
Zhao CHEN
;
Yue SHEN
;
Li-Li HUANG
;
Ping JIANG
Author Information
1. Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical College, Wenzhou 325027, China.
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- MeSH:
Animals;
Antigens, CD34;
metabolism;
Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic;
administration & dosage;
isolation & purification;
pharmacology;
Benzoquinones;
administration & dosage;
isolation & purification;
pharmacology;
Cell Line, Tumor;
Cell Movement;
drug effects;
Dose-Response Relationship, Drug;
Down-Regulation;
Female;
Humans;
Matrix Metalloproteinase 9;
metabolism;
Mice;
Mice, Inbred BALB C;
Mice, Nude;
NF-kappa B;
metabolism;
Neoplasm Invasiveness;
Neoplasm Metastasis;
Neoplasm Transplantation;
Nigella sativa;
chemistry;
Pancreatic Neoplasms;
metabolism;
pathology;
Plants, Medicinal;
chemistry
- From:
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica
2011;46(8):910-914
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Recent studies reported that thymoquinone (TQ), a component derived from the medicinal spice Nigella sativa (also called black cumin), exhibited inhibitory effects on cell proliferation of many cancer cell lines. This study was performed to investigate the anti-metastatic effect of thymoquinone on the pancreatic cancer in vitro and in vivo. The results showed that thymoquinone suppressed the migration and invasion of Panc-1 cells in a does-dependent manner. To investigate the possible mechanisms involved in these events, Western blotting analysis was performed, and found that thymoquinone significantly down-regulates NF-kappaB and MMP-9 in Panc-1 cells. In addition, metastatic model simulating human pancreatic cancer was established by orthotropic implantation of histologically intact pancreatic tumor tissue into the pancreatic wall of nude mice. And administration of thymoquinone significantly reduced tumor metastasis compared to untreated control. Furthermore, the expression of NF-kappaB and MMP-9 in tumor tissues was also suppressed after treatment with thymoquinone. Taken together, the results indicate that thymoquinone exerts anti-metastatic activity on pancreatic cancer both in vitro and in vivo, which may be related to down-regulation of NF-kappaB and its regulated molecules such as MMP-9 protein. Consequently, these results provide important insights into thymoquinone as an antimetastatic agent for the treatment of human pancreatic cancer.
