A Natural Flavone Tricin from Grains Can Alleviate Tumor Growth and Lung Metastasis in Colorectal Tumor Mice

• Published in: Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 25; no. 16; p. 3730
• Main Authors: Yue, Grace Gar-Lee, Gao, Si, Lee, Julia Kin-Ming, Chan, Yuk-Yu, Wong, Eric Chun-Wai, Zheng, Tao, Li, Xiao-Xiao, Shaw, Pang-Chui, Simmonds, Monique S J, Lau, Clara Bik-San
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 15.08.2020; MDPI
• Subjects: AKT protein; Animals; anti-metastasis; anti-tumor; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic - pharmacology; Apoptosis; Barley; Bioluminescence; Cell Proliferation; Colon; Colon cancer; Colorectal cancer; Colorectal carcinoma; Colorectal Neoplasms - drug therapy; Colorectal Neoplasms - pathology; Dietary supplements; Edible Grain - chemistry; flavone; Flavones - pharmacology; Flavonoids - pharmacology; Fruits; Grain; grains; Humans; Immunoregulation; Kinases; Lung cancer; Lung Neoplasms - drug therapy; Lung Neoplasms - secondary; Lungs; Lymphocytes; Lymphocytes T; Male; Metastases; Metastasis; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Mice, Nude; Motility; NF-κB protein; Proteins; Rectum; Rice; Suppressor cells; tricin; Tumor Cells, Cultured; Tumors; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays; anti-tumor; colorectal cancer; anti-metastasis; tricin; flavone; grains
• ISSN: 1420-3049; 1420-3049
• DOI: 10.3390/molecules25163730

Tricin, a flavone isolated from rice bran, has been shown to be chemopreventive in a colorectal cancer (CRC) mouse model. This study aimed to illustrate the inhibitory activities of tricin in colon cancer cells and in a metastatic CRC mouse model. BALB/c mice injected with mouse Colon26-Luc cells into the rectum wall were treated with tricin (37.5 mg/kg) daily for 18 days. Orthotopic colon tumor growth and metastasis to lungs were assessed by in vivo bioluminescence imaging. Results showed that tricin suppressed Colon-Luc cells motility and downregulated phosphorylated Akt, Erk1/2 and NF-κB expressions of human colon cancer HT-29 cells. While tricin treatment suppressed tumor growth and lung metastasis as well as altered the populations of myeloid-derived suppressor cells and regulatory T cells in spleens. In summary, the tumor microenvironment modulatory and anti-metastatic effects of tricin in colon cancer mouse model were shown for the first time, suggesting the potential development of tricin-containing food supplements for CRC patients.