Capsaicin treatment attenuates cholangiocarcinoma carcinogenesis

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 9; no. 4; p. e95605
• Main Authors: Wutka, Annika, Palagani, Vindhya, Barat, Samarpita, Chen, Xi, El Khatib, Mona, Götze, Julian, Belahmer, Hanane, Zender, Steffen, Bozko, Przemyslaw, Malek, Nisar P, Plentz, Ruben R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 01.04.2014; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Anticancer properties; Antitumor agents; Apoptosis; Apoptosis - drug effects; Bile Duct Neoplasms - metabolism; Bile Duct Neoplasms - pathology; Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic - pathology; Biology and Life Sciences; Cancer; Cancer therapies; Capsaicin; Capsaicin - pharmacology; Carcinogenesis; Carcinogens; Cell cycle; Cell growth; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell migration; Cell Movement - drug effects; Cell proliferation; Cell Proliferation - drug effects; Cell Survival - drug effects; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic - drug effects; Cholangiocarcinoma; Cholangiocarcinoma - metabolism; Cholangiocarcinoma - pathology; Colonies; Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition - drug effects; Food; Health aspects; Hedgehog protein; Hedgehog Proteins - metabolism; Hepatology; Hospitals; Humans; Internal medicine; Kinases; Medicine; Medicine and Health Sciences; Mesenchyme; Mode of action; Prognosis; Proteins; Signal transduction; Signal Transduction - drug effects; Signaling; Tumor Stem Cell Assay; Tumors; United Kingdom; Germany
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0095605

Capsaicin, the most abundant pungent molecule produced by pepper plants, represents an important ingredient in spicy foods consumed throughout the world. Studies have shown that capsaicin can relieve inflammation and has anti-proliferative effects on various human malignancies. Cholangiocarcinoma (CC) is a cancer disease with rising incidence. The prognosis remains dismal with little advance in treatment. The aim of the present study is to explore the anti-tumor activity of capsaicin in cultured human CC cell lines. Capsaicin effectively impaired cell proliferation, migration, invasion, epithelial to mesenchymal transition and growth of softagar colonies. Further, we show that capsaicin treatment of CC cells regulates the Hedgehog signaling pathway. Our results provide a basis for capsaicin to improve the prognosis of CCs in vivo and present new insights into the effectiveness and mode of action of capsaicin.