Paris saponin VII suppresses osteosarcoma cell migration and invasion by inhibiting MMP-2/9 production via the p38 MAPK signaling pathway

Metastasis is the primary cause of mortality in osteosarcoma. Targeting metastasis is a major strategy in osteosarcoma treatment. As a traditional Chinese medicine, Trillium tschonoskii Maxim has been widely used in the therapy of various diseases, including cancer. However, currently there is no evidence regarding the anti-metastasic effect of Paris saponin VII (PS VII), which is extracted from Trillium tschonoskii Maxim, on osteosarcoma cells and its underling mechanisms. The present study aimed to examine the effect of PS VII on the migration and invasion of osteosarcoma cells. Viability and proliferation of osteosarcoma cells were examined by MTT assay. Migration and invasion of osteosarcoma cells was then detected using scratch wound healing assays and Transwell assays, respectively. Additionally, the expression of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and -9 was determined at the mRNA and protein level following treatment with PS VII. Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) expression was also detected by western blot analysis. Finally, an inhibitor of p38 MAPK was used to verify the effect of PS VII on the expression of MMP-2 and -9, as well as the migration and invasion osteosarcoma cells. This demonstrated that the proliferation, migration and invasion of the osteosarcoma cells were suppressed following treatment with PS VII. PS VII downregulated the expression of MMP-2 and -9 in a dose- and time-dependent manner. PS VII also exerted its ability to downregulate the phosphorylation of p38 MAPKs. Furthermore, by using a p38 inhibitor, SB203580, the role of PS VII in MMP-2 and -9 expression and osteosarcoma cell invasion was revealed. Taken together, these results demonstrated that PS VII suppresses the migration and invasion of osteosarcoma cells via the p38 MAPK signaling pathway.