Antimetastasis Effect of<i> Astragalus membranaceus</i>-<i>Curcuma zedoaria</i> via <i>β</i>-Catenin Mediated CXCR4 and EMT Signaling Pathway in HCT116

Abstract

Astragalus membranaceus and Curcuma zedoaria , two traditional Chinese medicines, are widely used together in colorectal cancer adjuvant treatment. Many different mechanisms should be involved in the benefit effect of Astragalus membranaceus and Curcuma zedoaria . In this study, we established that the combined extract from Astragalus membranaceus and Curcuma zedoaria (HQEZ) decreased the metastasis ability in colorectal cancer cells (HCT116, a cell line of colorectal carcinoma established from Homo sapiens ) in vitro , and the treatment induced the downregulation of EMT signal and decreased CXCR4 expression and the level of β -catenin. Overexpression of CXCR4 and the administration of the agonist and inhibitor to β -catenin signal pathway were used to explore the mechanism of Astragalus membranaceus and Curcuma zedoaria in colorectal cancer treatment. The data demonstrated that HQEZ increased the phosphorylation of β -catenin which related to the degradation of β -catenin, and it induced the downregulation of EMT signal and CXCR4. It meant that the influence of β -catenin should be a key event in the antimetastasis effects of Astragalus membranaceus-Curcuma zedoaria in colorectal cancer model. These findings revealed the potential effect and mechanism of Astragalus membranaceus-Curcuma zedoaria in colorectal cancer treatment and provided insight for optimization of the usage.