Effects of wogonin on the growth and metastasis of colon cancer through the Hippo signaling pathway.

ABSTRACT

Wogonin is an effective component of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, which exhibits anti-tumor activity. The aim of this study was to explore the effects of wogonin on colon cancer (CC). Human CC cell lines, SW480 and HCT116, were cultured, and MTT assay was performed to detect cell survival. RT-qPCR and Western blotting were used to measure mRNA and protein expression, respectively. The migration and invasion abilities of the CC cells were determined by a transwell assay. Immunofluorescence staining was performed to determine the localization of IRF3. Xenograft mice were used to investigate the effects of wogonin on CC in vivo. Wogonin inhibited the survival and metastasis of CC cells. In addition, wogonin suppressed epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Furthermore, the protein expression of YAP1 and IRF3 was downregulated, and p-YAP1 was upregulated after wogonin treatment. Wogonin also suppressed IRF3 expression in the nuclei of CC cells and overexpression of YAP1 reversed the effects of wogonin in CC cells. Finally, wogonin inhibited the tumor growth in the mice and overexpression of YAP1 reversed the wogonin effects. Thus, these results showed that wogonin relieved the carcinogenic behaviors and EMT of CC cells via the IRF3-mediated Hippo signaling pathway.