Effects of artonin e on migration and invasion capabilities of human lung cancer cells

Background: Knowledge regarding substances that attenuate motility of cancer cells has gathered significant attention, as they benefit the development of novel anticancer strategies. The anti-migration and anti-invasion activities of artonin E, extracted from bark of Artocarpus gomezianus, were investigated in lung cancer cells in this study. Materials and Methods: Cytotoxicity and antiproliferative effects of artonin E were examined by 3- (4,5-dimethylthiazol- 2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Migration and invasion assays were performed on H460, H23, A549 and H292 human lung cancer cells. Cell morphology was determined by phalloidin-rhodamine staining. Motility-related proteins were investigated by western blotting. Results: Artonin E exhibited anti-migration and anti-invasion activities in H460 cells. Cell morphology revealed that treatment of the cells with non-toxic concentrations of artonin E resulted in a decrease of activated focal adhesion kinase (FAK), downstream protein kinase B (AKT) activation, and Cell division cycle-42 (CDC42), all of which were associated with the anti-motility effect of this compound. Artonin E inhibited invasion and migration of other lung cancer cells, namely H292, H23 and A549 cells. Conclusion: These results suggest that artonin E may be a promising candidate for anti-metastasis use.