Metformin and p-coumaric acid alter the expression of some EMT genes in gastric cancer cell line AGS

Sefidi-Heris, Youssof; Saadat, Iraj

Metformin and p-coumaric acid alter the expression of some EMT genes in gastric cancer cell line AGS

Document Type : Original Research

Authors

Youssof Sefidi-Heris ¹

Iraj Saadat ²

¹ Department of Biology, School of Science, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran

² Department of Biology, School of Science, Shiraz University

Abstract

Gastric cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world. Its treatments are costly and can cause severe side effects. As a result, treatments with natural compounds, well-established therapeutics, or combinations of both groups may be effective alternatives. p-Coumaric acid (pCA) and metformin (Met) are among such anticancer treatments. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a multi-purpose process that plays a critical role in gastric cancer. This process involves a complex network of biological markers participating in gastric cancer initiation and metastasis. Subsequently, the agents downregulating the expression of EMT markers may be potential anti-gastric cancer therapeutics. Because the effects of pCA, Met, and their combination on the expression of EMT markers ZEB1, Snail2, Vimentin, and VEGFA have not been inspected, the present study aimed at assessing these effects. MTT assay determined the cytotoxicity of pCA and Met on the AGS cells for 48 hours. Real-time PCR was used to evaluate the changes in the expression levels of these EMT genes after 48 hours. A combination of pCA and Met downregulated the expression of ZEB1 and Vimentin genes at low, non-cytotoxic concentrations. Therefore, they may be potential candidates for further investigations in fighting against gastric cancer.

Keywords

Metformin

p-Comaric Acid

Gastric cancer

EMT Markers

Real-time PCR

Subjects

Pharmaceutical Biotechnology

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