Vandetanib-induced inhibition of neuroblastoma cell migration and invasion is associated with downregulation of the SDF-1/CXCR4 axis and matrix metalloproteinase 14

Rearranged during transfection (RET) is widely expressed in neuroblastoma (NB) and partly contributes to high metastatic potential and survival of NB. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether vandetanib (a RET inhibitor) inhibits proliferation, migration and invasion of NB cells in vitro. The effects of vandetanib on the proliferation, apoptosis and cell cycle and on RET phosphorylation of SK-N-SH and SH-SY5Y cells were evaluated in vitro. The migration and invasion potential of vandetanib-treated NB cells were analyzed using Transwell cell migration and invasion assays, respectively. qPCR, western blotting and immunofluorescence were used to detect mRNA and protein levels in NB cells treated with vandetanib. Our data demonstrated that vandetanib inhibits the proliferation of SK-N-SH and SH-SY5Y cells and that this inhibition is mediated by the induction of G1 phase cell cycle arrest at lower concentrations and by apoptosis at higher concentrations. In the presence of vandetanib, the migration and invasion of two NB cell lines were markedly decreased compared with the control group (p<0.01). In addition, our data showed that the levels of C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4) and matrix metalloproteinase 14 (MMP14) mRNA expression in NB cell lines treated with vandetanib were significantly lower than those in the cells that were treated with vehicle (p<0.01) and similar results were obtained for protein levels as determined by western blotting and immunofluorescence analysis. Vandetanib may inhibit the proliferation, migration and invasion of NB cells in vitro. The potential mechanisms for the inhibition of NB migration and invasion by vandetanib may partly be attributed to the ability of vandetanib to suppress the expression of CXCR4 and MMP14 in human NB cells.