Abstract
Schisandrin A (SchA) has been reported as a multidrug resistance-reversing agent; however, its antitumor effects have been rarely reported. Consequently, we attempted to explore whether SchA per se possesses an antitumor property in choriocarcinoma JEG-3 and BeWo cells and its potential mechanisms. JEG-3, BeWo, and HTR-8/SVneo cells were stimulated with SchA at different concentrations (10-100 μM), and cellular viability was evaluated with Cell Counting Kit-8. After stimulation with SchA, proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion were detected by bromodeoxyuridine assay, Annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate/propidium iodide (Annexin V-FITC/PI) method, and a Transwell system, in JEG-3 cells transfected with short hairpin-RNA for maternally expressed 3. Western blot was performed to quantify protein. MEG3 was examined by a quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. MEG3 was downregulated in choriocarcinoma tissues. SchA diminished cellular viability, decreased proliferative activity, inhibited migratory and invasive behaviors, and repressed phosphorylation of regulators of phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase/protein kinase B/nuclear factor κB (PI3K/AKT/NF-κB) signaling cascade in gestational choriocarcinoma cells. MEG3 was upregulated by SchA in JEG-3 and BeWo cells. SchA exhibited little suppressive effects in JEG-3 cells lacking MEG3. Besides, the phosphorylation of transducers was evoked in MEG3-silenced JEG-3 cells despite stimulation with SchA. SchA administration repressed the growth of JEG-3 and BeWo cells by upregulating MEG3. Besides, SchA blocked PI3K/AKT/NF-κB signal cascade by elevating MEG3.