The Mechanism Of Dedu Seven-Ingredient Pill With Safflower In Resisting Liver Cancer

Objective: The goal of this study was to investigate the role of Dedu seven-ingredient pill with safflower in inhibiting proliferation of human HepG2 liver cancer cells in vitro and in mice and verify the targeted regulation relationship between miR-23a and DAPK1. Method: The Dedu seven-ingredient pill with safflower was prepared to treat the human hepatocellular carcinoma cell strain HepG2. Then, the MTT, scratch wound and cell invasion experiments were performed. The N- nitroso compound (DEN) was used to establish the mice model with liver cancer. Expression of the DAPK1 gene mRNA was detected by means of real-time quantification PCR. The expression of the DAPK1 protein was detected with the Western blot method. The targeted regulation relationship between miR-23a and DAPK1 was further verified by a dual-luciferase reporter gene experiment. Result: Dedu seven-ingredient pill with safflower played a significant role in decreasing the invasion and migration capacity of the HepG2 liver carcinoma cells. The fluorescent real-time quantification PCR and the Western Blotting result indicated that the mRNA expressed by the DAPK1 gene and the expression of the appropriate protein following administration of Dedu seven-ingredient pill with safflower were significantly up-regulated compared with that in the control group (P<0.05). Expression of miR-23a in the Dedu seven-ingredient pill with safflower group was down-regulated by 48% compared with that in the liver cancer model group. The luciferase reporter gene experiment indicated that no significant changes occurred in the activity of the DAPK1-MUT group while the fluorescence intensity of the DAPK1-WT group was decreased significantly (P<0.05). Conclusion: The Dedu seven-ingredient pill with safflower impedes the migration and invasion of the cancer cells and inhibits proliferation of the cancer cells, through down regulating miR-23a level to promote the expression of the DAPK1 protein.