Cisplatin plus norcantharidin alter the expression of TGF-β1/Smads signaling pathway in hepatocellular carcinoma

PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of cisplatin plus norcantharidin on transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta 1/Smads signaling pathway in hepatocellular carcinoma cells. METHODS: Hepatocellular carcinoma cells (Hep3B) were divided into four groups: control group, cisplatin 2.0 mu g/ml group, norcantharidin 10 mu g/ml group, and cisplatin 2.0 mu g/ml plus norcantharidin 10 mu g/ml group. All cells were incubated for 24 hours. Cells proliferation was assessed using cell counting kit-8. Relative mRNA expression of TGF-beta 1, Smad4 and Smad7 were assessed by quantitative RT-PCR. Protein expression of TGF-beta 1 and Smad4 were investigated by western blotting. RESULTS: Cisplatin, norcantharidin and cisplatin plus norcantharidin significantly inhibited the proliferation of cells, significantly attenuated both the mRNA and protein expression of TGF-beta 1 and Smad7, and significantly up-regulated the mRNA and protein expression of Smad4 in Hep3B (all p < 0.05), and cisplatin plus norcantharidin exhibited powerful effects than cisplatin and norcantharidin. CONCLUSIONS: Cisplatin, norcantharidin and cisplatin plus norcantharidin can significantly alter the expression of TGF-beta 1/Smads signaling pathway and inhibit the proliferation of Hep3B cells. Cisplatin plus norcantharidin exhibited powerful effects than cisplatin and norcantharidin (Fig. 4, Ref. 23). Text in PDF www.elis.sk.