The effects of Alisol B 23-acetate in hepatocellular carcinoma via inducing cell apoptosis and inhibiting cell migration and invasion

Alisol B 23-acetate (AB23A) is a natural triterpenoid isolated from Chinese herbal medicine and has a variety of biological functions, especially anti-cancer effects. However, the effects and mechanisms of AB23A in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain unclear. Cell viability, invasion and migration were measured by MTT, Transwell and wound healing assays, respectively. To detect cell cycle and apoptosis, a flow cytometry assay was used. Tumor xenograft experiment was performed to measure tumor growth. The enzymatic assay was used to determine the activity of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and -9. Furthermore, the mRNA and protein levels of Bcl-2, Bax, Caspase-3/-9, MMP-2/-9 and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) were detected by RT-PCR and Western blotting assays. AB23A suppressed cell viability in a concentration-dependent manner, blocked cell cycle, and induced apoptosis via up-regulating Bax, Caspase-3 and Caspase-9, and down-regulating Bcl-2 in HCC cells both in vitro and in vivo. In addition, AB23A inhibited cell invasion and migration through down-regulating MMP-2/-9 activities. The effects of AB23A might be associated with the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in HCC cells. Taken together, the present data demonstrated that AB23A might play a role in suppressing the progression of HCC, revealing the value of AB23A for hepatocellular carcinoma treatment in clinic.