Antimetastatic Effects of Sesamin on Human Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma through Regulation of Matrix Metalloproteinase-2

• Published in: Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 25; no. 9; p. 2248
• Main Authors: Chen, Jian-Ming, Chen, Pei-Yin, Lin, Chia-Chieh, Hsieh, Ming-Chang, Lin, Jen-Tsun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI 10.05.2020; MDPI AG
• Subjects: Antineoplastic Agents - pharmacology; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Movement - drug effects; Cell Survival - drug effects; Dioxoles - pharmacology; Head and Neck Neoplasms - drug therapy; Head and Neck Neoplasms - metabolism; Head and Neck Neoplasms - pathology; human head and neck squamous carcinoma; Humans; invasion; Lignans - pharmacology; MAP Kinase Kinase 4 - metabolism; MAP Kinase Signaling System - drug effects; MAPK; Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 - metabolism; migration; MMP-2; Neoplasm Metastasis - drug therapy; p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases - metabolism; Phosphorylation; sesamin; Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck - drug therapy; Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck - metabolism; Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck - pathology; Zanthoxylum - chemistry; migration; sesamin; MMP-2; invasion; MAPK; human head and neck squamous carcinoma
• ISSN: 1420-3049; 1420-3049
• DOI: 10.3390/molecules25092248

Sesamin is a lignin present in sesame oil from the bark of spp. Sesamin reportedly has anticarcinogenic potential and exerts anti-inflammatory effects on several tumors. Hypothesis/Purpose: However, the effect of sesamin on metastatic progression in human head and neck squamous carcinoma (HNSCC) remains unknown in vitro and in vivo; hence, we investigated the effect of sesamin on HNSCC cells in vitro. Sesamin-treated human oral cancer cell lines FaDu, HSC-3, and Ca9-22 were subjected to a wound-healing assay. Furthermore, Western blotting was performed to assess the effect of sesamin on the expression levels of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and proteins of the MAPK signaling pathway, including p-ERK1/2, P-p38, and p-JNK1/2. In addition, we investigated the association between MMP-2 expression and the MAPK pathway in sesamin-treated oral cancer cells. Sesamin inhibited cell migration and invasion in FaDu, Ca9-22, and HSC-3 cells and suppressed MMP-2 at noncytotoxic concentrations (0 to 40 μM). Furthermore, sesamin significantly reduced p38 MAPK and JNK phosphorylation in a dose-dependent manner in FaDu and HSC-3 cells. These results indicate that sesamin suppresses the migration and invasion of HNSCC cells by regulating MMP-2 and is thus a potential antimetastatic agent for treating HNSCC.