A Series of New Pyrrole Alkaloids with ALR2 Inhibitory Activities from the Sponge Stylissa massa.

Twelve new and four known alkaloids including five different structural scaffolds were isolated from the sponge Stylissa massa collected in the South China Sea. Compound 1 is the first identified precursor metabolite of the classic 5/7/5 tricyclic skeleton with unesterified guanidine and carboxyl groups, compounds 2-5 and 13-15 belong to the spongiacidin-type pyrrole imidazole alkaloids (PIAs). Z- and E-configurations of the spongiacidin-type PIAs often appeared concomitantly and were distinguished by the chemical shift analysis of 13C NMR spectra. The structures of all twelve new compounds were determined by NMR, MS, and ECD analysis combined with single-crystal data of compounds 1, 5, and 10. In the aldose reductase (ALR2) inhibitory assay, six 5/7/5 tricyclic compounds (2-5, 13-15) displayed significant activities. Compounds 13 and 14, as the representative members of spongiacidin-PIAs, demonstrated their ALR2-targeted activities in SPR experiments with KD values of 12.5 and 6.9 µM, respectively.

Constrained Planar Array Thinning Based on Discrete Particle Swarm Optimization with Hybrid Search Strategies.

This article presents a novel optimization algorithm for large array thinning. The algorithm is based on Discrete Particle Swarm Optimization (DPSO) integrated with some different search strategies. It utilizes a global learning strategy to improve the diversity of populations at the early stage of optimization. A dispersive solution set and the gravitational search algorithm are used during particle velocity updating. Then, a local search strategy is enabled in the later stage of optimization. The particle position is adaptively adjusted by the mutation probability, and its motion state is monitored by two observation parameters. The peak side-lobe level (PSLL) performance, effectiveness and robustness of the improved PSO algorithm are verified by several representative examples.

To betray or to fight? The dual identity of the mitochondria in cancer.

Mitochondria are highly dynamic organelles that provide energy for oxidative phosphorylation in cells. Equally, they are the major sites for the metabolism of amino acids, lipids and iron. When cells become cancerous, the morphology, cellular location and metabolic mode of the mitochondria change accordingly. These mitochondrial changes can have two opposing effects on cancer: procancer and anticancer effects. Specifically, mitochondria play roles in the fight against cancer by participating in processes such as ferroptosis, mitophagy and antitumor immunity. Contrastingly, cancer cells can also enslave mitochondria to give them the conditions necessary for growth and metastasis. Moreover, through mitochondria, cancer cells can escape from immune surveillance, resulting in their immune escape and enhanced malignant transformation ability. At present, cancer-related studies of mitochondria are one-sided; therefore, we aim to provide a comprehensive understanding by systematically reviewing the two-sided cancer-related properties of mitochondria. Mitochondrial-targeted drugs are gradually emerging and showing significant advantages in cancer treatment; thus, our in-depth exploration of mitochondria in cancer will help to provide theoretical support for the future provision of efficient and low-toxicity cancer treatments.

Piperine ameliorates insulin resistance via inhibiting metabolic inflammation in monosodium glutamate-treated obese mice.

BACKGROUND: Metabolic inflammation is an essential event in obesity-induced diabetes and insulin resistance. In obesity, an increasing number of macrophages recruited into visceral adipose tissues undergo significant M1-like polarization, secreting variable amounts of pro-inflammatory cytokines and causing insulin resistance. Piperine has excellent anti-inflammatory activities and may be used in the treatment of a variety of inflammatory diseases. In this study, we investigated the effect of piperine on adipose tissue inflammation and insulin resistance in obese mice. METHODS: Newborn mice were subcutaneously (s.c.) injected with monosodium glutamate (MSG) to establish a diabetes model. After 24 weeks, the MSG obese mice were divided into three groups and treated with piperine (40 mg/kg/day), metformin (150 mg/kg/day) and vehicle for 10 successive weeks, respectively. RESULTS: The obesity model was successfully established, as the body weight, insulin resistance, fasting blood glucose (FBG) and dyslipidemia were significantly increased. The 10-week administration of piperine to the obese mice not only significantly decreased the elevated FBG (Model: 6.45 ± 0.41 mM; Piperine: 4.72 ± 0.44 mM, p < 0.01), serum TC (Model: 5.66 ± 0.66 mM; Piperine: 3.55 ± 0.30 mM, p < 0.01) and TG (Model: 1.41 ± 0.08 mM; Piperine: 0.94 ± 0.05 mM, p < 0.001), but also enhanced the glucose infusion rate in the hyperglycemic clamp experiment. Meanwhile, piperine improved glucose intolerance and insulin resistance in MSG obese mice. Piperine markedly decreased the total and differential white blood cell (WBC) count, the serum levels of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and pro-inflammatory cytokines such as galectin-3 (Gal-3) and interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß). Furthermore, piperine clearly down-regulated the mRNA levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and the protein levels of M1-like polarization marker CD11c and Gal-3 in adipose tissues. The in vitro study showed that piperine inhibited LPS-stimulated polarization of RAW 264.7 cells toward the M1 phenotype. CONCLUSIONS: Piperine served as an immunomodulator for the treatment of obesity-related diabetes through its anti-inflammatory effects, which might be achieved by inhibiting macrophages M1 polarization in adipose tissues.

A brief review: some compounds targeting YAP against malignancies.

YAP, acting as a crucial transcription factor in nucleus, regulates the organ size, tissue homeostasis and tumorigenesis. Dysregulation of Hippo-YAP pathway brings a significant impact on the occurrence and development of various tumor types. Moreover, regulation of YAP/TAZ far exceeds the core kinase of the Hippo pathway, and gradually opens up new therapeutic targets. For the moment, chemotherapy together with radiotherapy act as routine methods to prolong the lives of cancer patients. Seeking more effective anti-neoplastic agents seems to be the urgent problem. This brief review focuses on the research progress of YAP inhibitors as the antineoplastic targets. Small molecule inhibitors or drugs have been discovered including verteporfin, dasatinib, statins, A35, JQ1, norcantharidin, agave, MLN8237, dobutamine and peptide-based YAP inhibitors. We are trying to seek novel therapies from the relationship between known drugs and potential mechanisms.

Human gestational diabetes mellitus-derived exosomes impair glucose homeostasis in pregnant mice and stimulate functional maturation of offspring-islets.

AIMS: Pancreatic islets undergo critical development and functional maturation during the perinatal period when they are highly sensitive to microenvironment. We aim to determine the effects and mechanisms of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) hypermetabolic stress on glucose homeostasis in pregnant mice and functional maturation of the islets of their offspring. MAIN METHODS: Exosomes were extracted from the umbilical vein blood of individuals with or without GDM for administration to pregnant mice. The blood glucose, serum insulin, glycosylated hemoglobin, and lipopolysaccharide levels were measured in pregnant mice. The expression and localization of insulin, glucagon, PC1/3, PDX1, and p-S6 in the islets of neonatal rats were continuously monitored using immunofluorescence to evaluate their functional status. Primary islet cells were cultured and treated with GDM exosomes and exendin to determine the expression of GLP-1R, AKT, p-AKT, and p-S6 via western blotting. KEY FINDINGS: GDM exosomes induced remarkable oral glucose intolerance, hyperinsulinemia, and metabolic inflammation in pregnant mice. The islets of GDM offspring exhibited high insulin, glucagon, PC1/3, PDX1, and p-S6 expression at and after birth, and activation of the local GLP-1/GLP-1R axis. The functional maturation of normal-offspring islets did not commence until after birth, while it was activated prior to birth in GDM offspring, seriously disrupting the whole process. GDM exosomes activated the GLP-1/GLP-1R axis between α and ß cells, and stimulated functional maturation of ß cells via the Akt-mTORC1-pS6 pathway. SIGNIFICANCE: These findings provide preliminary insights into the mechanisms underlying the high incidence of diabetes in the offspring of mothers with GDM.

Identification of Potential Biomarkers of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus-Related Immune Infiltration Using Weighted Gene Coexpression Network Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is characterized by chronic low-grade inflammation, showing an increasing trend. The infiltration of immune cells into adipose tissue has been shown to be an important pathogenic cause of T2DM. The purpose of this study is to use the relevant database to identify some abnormally expressed or dysfunctional genes related to diabetes from the perspective of immune infiltration. METHODS: Weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) was employed to systematically identify the coexpressed gene modules and hub genes associated with T2DM development based on a microarray dataset (GSE23561) from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. The key genes in modules highly related to clinical features were calculated and screened by using R software, and their participation in T2DM was determined by gene enrichment analysis. The mRNA levels of CSF1R, H2AFV, LCK, and TLR9 in pre-T2DM mice and normal wild-type mice were detected by WGCNA screening and real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). RESULTS: We constructed 14 coexpressed gene modules, and the brown module was shown to be significantly related to T2DM. Through verification of the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, four upregulated hub genes, CSF1R, H2AFV, LCK, and TLR9, were screened from the brown module and successfully distinguishedT2DM patients from healthy people. These hub genes may be used as biomarkers and important indicators for patient diagnosis. Enrichment analysis showed that these hub genes were highly associated with IL-6-related inflammatory metabolism, immune regulation, and immune cell infiltration. Finally, we verified the hub genes CSF1R, LCK, and TLR9 in a T2DM animal model and found that their mRNA levels were significantly higher in animals with T2DM than in control group mice (NC). CONCLUSIONS: In summary, our results suggest that these hub genes (CSF1R, LCK, and TLR9) can serve as biomarkers and immunotherapeutic targets for T2DM.

Cationic Mechanosensitive Channels Mediate Trabecular Meshwork Responses to Cyclic Mechanical Stretch.

The trabecular meshwork (TM) is responsible for intraocular pressure (IOP) homeostasis in the eye. The tissue senses IOP fluctuations and dynamically adapts to the mechanical changes to either increase or decrease aqueous humor outflow. Cationic mechanosensitive channels (CMCs) have been reported to play critical roles in mediating the TM responses to mechanical forces. However, how CMCs influence TM cellular function affect aqueous humor drainage is still elusive. In this study, human TM (HTM) cells were collected from a Chinese donor and subjected to cyclically equiaxial stretching with an amplitude of 20% at 1 Hz GsMTx4, a non-selective inhibitor for CMCs, was added to investigate the proteomic changes induced by CMCs in response to mechanical stretch of HTM. Gene ontology enrichment analysis demonstrated that inhibition of CMCs significantly influenced several biochemical pathways, including store-operated calcium channel activity, microtubule cytoskeleton polarity, toll-like receptor signaling pathway, and neuron cell fate specification. Through heatmap analysis, we grouped 148 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) into 21 clusters and focused on four specific patterns associated with Ca2+ homeostasis, autophagy, cell cycle, and cell fate. Our results indicated that they might be the critical downstream signals of CMCs adapting to mechanical forces and mediating AH outflow.

Structurally Various Sorbicillinoids From an Endophytic Fungus Acremonium citrinum SS-g13.

Three new sorbicillinoids, including trimer trisorbicillinone E (1), acremosorbicillinoids A and B (2 and 3), and a new alkaloid acremokaloid A (4), and a new natural product 2S,3S-acetyl-ß-methyltryptophan (5), were isolated from an endophytic fungus Acremonium citrinum SS-g13, which is found in Fructus mori plant root. In addition, eight known sorbicillinoids (6-13) were also obtained. The new compound structures were established using NMR, HRESIMS spectra, and reported spectroscopic data. The absolute configurations of compounds 1-5, were determined by spectroscopic analysis, Snatzke's method, and time-dependent density functional theory-electronic circular dichroism (TDDFT-ECD) calculations. Compound 11 exhibited significant cholesterol efflux enhancing activity. A plausible biosynthesis pathway for the sorbicillinoids is discussed.

New insights into the links between anti-diabetes drugs and gut microbiota.

In patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), the intestinal flora is out of balance and accompanied by leaky gut. The flora is characterized by an increase in mucus-degrading bacteria and a decrease in fiber-degrading bacteria. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), as the major fiber-degrading bacteria fermentation, not only ameliorate the leaky gut, but also activate GPR43 to increase the mass of functional pancreatic ß-cells and exert anti-inflammation effect. At present, the gut microbiota is considered as the potential target for anti-diabetes drugs, and how to reverse the imbalance of gut microbiota has become a therapeutic strategy for T2DM. This review briefly summarizes the drugs or compounds that have direct or potential therapeutic effects on T2DM by modulating the gut microbiota, including biguanides, isoquinoline alkaloids, stilbene and C7N-aminocyclic alcohols.

Computational investigation of sensing properties of Ca-doped zinc oxide nanotube toward formaldehyde.

Following an experimental work, we employed density functionals B3LYP, B97D, CAM-B3LYP, BMK, and M06-HF to study the impact of Ca-doping on a ZnO nanotube (ZnONT) sensing performance to the formaldehyde gas. The interaction of the pristine ZnONT with the formaldehyde gas was found to be weak, and the sensing response is 0.7 based on the B3LYP results. Doping a Ca atom into the ZnONT changes the adsorption energy of formaldehyde from - 4.2 to - 36.1 kcal/mol. Energy decomposing analysis indicated that the nature of interaction is partially electrostatic and covalent. The sensing response significantly rises to 4.2 by Ca-doping (experimental value ~ 5.28). A short recovery time of 5.6 s is found for the formaldehyde gas desorption from the Ca@ZnONT surface at 300 °C. Both theory and experiment suggest that Ca-doped ZnONT may be a formaldehyde gas sensor with a short recovery time.

Piperine protects against pancreatic ß-cell dysfunction by alleviating macrophage inflammation in obese mice.

AIMS: Piperine, the major pharmacological ingredient of pepper, can delay the procession of "obesity to diabetes". However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. This study aims to investigate whether piperine protects against ß-cell dysfunction by inhibiting macrophage accumulation and M1-like polarization. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Pre-diabetic model was induced by feeding 60% high-fat diet (HFD) in C57BL/6C mice, piperine (15 or 30 mg/kg/day) and rosiglitazone (4 mg/kg/day) were given orally for 8 weeks. Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), insulin tolerance test (ITT), fasting blood glucose (FBG), total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG) were used to assay the disorder of glycolipid metabolism. Serum levels of cytokines and insulin were measured by Elisa. Hyperglycemic clamp assay was carried out to evaluate ß-cell function. RT-PCR, immunofluorescence and western blot were used to detect the expression of biomarkers associated with macrophage polarization and ß-cell dedifferentiation. KEY FINDINGS: Piperine protected against ß-cell dysfunction, indicated by the improvement of hyperinsulinemia, OGTT and increased glucose infusion rate (GIR). Piperine dramatically reduced the serum levels of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) and Galectin-3 (Gal-3), suppressed the expression of M1-like cytokines (CD11c, IL-1ß and Gal-3) in epididymal adipose tissues and islets. Furthermore, piperine partially reversed the down-regulation of Pdx1, inhibited the up-regulation of ALDH1A3 in ß-cell, and these effects were closely related to the mTOR/S6/4E-BP1 signal pathway. SIGNIFICANCE: Piperine markedly ameliorates the dedifferentiation and dysfunction of ß-cell by inhibiting the accumulation and M1-like polarization of macrophages in visceral adipose tissues and islets.

A novel GLP-1 analog, BPI3006, with potent DPP IV resistance and good glucoregulatory effect.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is an incretin hormone that decreases postprandial glycemic excursions by enhancing insulin secretion but with short half-life due to rapid inactivation by enzymatic N-terminal truncation. Therefore, efforts are being made to improve the stability of GLP-1 via modifying its structure or inhibiting dipeptidyl-peptidase IV (DPP IV), which is responsible for its degradation. Here we report a novel GLP-1 analog BPI3006 with -NHCO- of Ala(8) replaced by -CH(CF(3))NH- and features of its metabolic stability, GLP-1 receptor trans-activation and in vivo biological activity. BPI3006 is highly resistant to DPP IV-mediated degradation with 91.1% of parental peptide left after 24h exposure to the enzyme. BPI3006 also effectively activates its target gene promoter through GLP-1 receptor activation by measuring the transiently transfected reporter gene green fluorescence protein (GFP) expression in NIT-1 cells. Furthermore, BPI3006 could well restrain the glycemia variation in fasted normal ICR mice after a single administration followed by an oral glucose loading. In spontaneous type 2 diabetic KKA(y) mice, BPI3006 injected twice daily could significantly improve the oral glucose tolerance and hyperinsulinemia, as well as ameliorate the food and water consumption. In conclusion, BPI3006 has enhanced resistance to DPP IV leading to improved stability, and shows excellent in vivo biological activity. Thus it may be a new candidate for T2DM treatment and its novel modification may provide valuable guidance for the future development of long-acting GLP-1 analogs.

Acrepyrone A, a new γ-pyrone derivative from an endophytic fungus, Acremonium citrinum SS-g13.

A new γ-pyrone derivative, acrepyrone A (1), and three known sorbicillinoids, trichodimerol (2), dihydrotrichodimerol (3) and tetrahydrotrichodimerol (4) were isolated from an endophytic fungus, Acremonium citrinum SS-g13, harboured in the roots of the Chinese medicinal plant Fructus mori. Their structures were determined by analysing MS, NMR, and ECD data. Compound 1 was evaluated for its cytotoxic effect, antibacterial activity and quorum sensing inhibitory potential.

Key roles of Rho GTPases, YAP, and Mutant P53 in anti-neoplastic effects of statins.

Emerging epidemiological and preclinical studies have focused on statins and mevalonate pathway to identify potential therapeutic target and clarify the underlying mechanism of the anti-neoplastic effects. Reductions of mevalonate or isoprenoids, caused by statins, would further decrease the isoprenylation of Rho GTPases which is the crucial step for Rho GTPases to anchor on inner cellular membrane. Following anchoring, activated Rho GTPases can mediate a series of cellular activities such as cytoskeleton reprogramming, front-rear polarity, and cell-ECM adhesion. These changes not only facilitate tumor cell detachment and migration but also bring great mechanical changes to directly activate YAP, the major nuclear mechanotransducer, to translocate into nucleus. Recently, statins have been identified as potent inhibitors of YAP. Once entering nucleus, YAP would combine TEADs to promote the transcription of about 100 genes, which are involved in cell proliferation, cell cycle regulation, stemness, invasion, and metastasis. Besides, statins are able to promote the degradation of misfolded mutant p53 (mutp53), which is an oncogene in a variety of human malignancies. Reduction in mevalonate-5-phosphate (MVP), also induced by statins, would impair the stability of DNAJA1-mutp53 complex; then, elevated C terminus of Hsc70-interacting protein (CHIP) mediates the nuclear export and degradation of misfolded mutp53 through ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. It is worth noted that YAP, mutp53, and mevalonate pathway form two positive feedback loops. It is reasonable to believe that Rho GTPases, YAP, and mutp53 are determinants for statins as anti-cancer agents: tumor cells harboring mutp53 and nuclear-located YAP would be more sensitive to statins.

Pyroptosis is involved in the inhibitory effect of FL118 on growth and metastasis in colorectal cancer.

AIMS: Pyroptosis is a newly discovered inflammatory programmed cell death. This study was to investigate whether pyroptosis is involved in the anti-colorectal cancer process of FL118. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The relationship between NLRP3 and caspase-1 and colorectal cancer was analyzed by bioinformatics. MTT was used to detect the cell viability. Cell membrane integrity was examined by LDH release. Wound healing assay and Transwell were used to detect the cell migration and invasion respectively. TUNEL was to check the cell death. The expression of pyroptosis-related factors was detected using qRT-PCR, Western blotting, Immunofluorescence and Elisa. And H&E staining was used to detect the toxicity of FL118 in colorectal cancer. KEY FINDINGS: In vitro, FL118 significantly inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of colorectal cancer, and the morphological characteristics of pyroptosis were observed under the microscope. With the change of FL118 concentration, the release rate of LDH in the supernatant and the expression of pyroptosis-related factors emerged an increase. However, pyroptosis induced by FL118 was reversed with the participation of MCC950 and VX-765, which suppressed the antitumor effect of FL118. In vivo, the result in the xenograft animal model and lung metastasis model experimental showed that FL118 could activate pyroptosis and thus inhibit the metastasis of colorectal cancer. SIGNIFICANCE: FL118 restrains the growth and metastasis of colorectal cancer by inducing NLRP3-ASC-Caspase-1 mediated pyroptosis, which provides important evidence in the study on the role of pyroptosis and different tumors.

[Inhibition effect of epalrestat on rat lens osmotic expansion].

Epalrestat is the unique aldose reductase inhibitor on the market, which was mainly used for the diabetic neuropathy. Lenses osmotic expansion could be induced by galactose to mimic the pathological process of diabetic cataract in vitro. In present study, we mainly investigated whether epalrestat possesses inhibitory effect on the lens osmotic expansion. The results indicated that epalrestat could not only markedly inhibit rat lens osmotic expansion in vitro, but also significantly reduced the high expression of the osmotic expansion-related genes such as AR and AQP1 in mRNA and protein levels. The findings may provide an important reference to epalrestat in the clinical application for the treatment of diabetic cataract.

Induced production of steroids by co-cultivation of two endophytes from Mahonia fortunei.

A new ergosterol derivative, 23R-hydroxy-(20Z,24R)-ergosta-4,6,8(14),20(22)-tetraen-3-one (1), and a biosynthetically related known compound, (22E,24R)-ergosta-4,6,8(14),22-tetraen-3-one (2), were isolated from the co-culture between endophytic fungus Pleosporales sp. F46 and endophytic bacterium Bacillus wiedmannii Com1 both inhibiting in the medicinal plant Mahonia fortunei. The structure of the new compound 1 was determined by extensive spectroscopic analysis using HRMS and NMR, together with the modified Mosher's ester method. This is the first example of isolation of a ergosterol derivative with a Δ20(22)-double bond in the side chain. Compound 1 exhibited moderate antibacterial efficacy against Staphylococcus aureus and no obvious cytotoxic activities against the cancer cell lines A549, MDA-MB-231 and Hct116. Our results not only reveal that compound 1 is a potent antibacterial lead compound, but also highlight the powder of co-cultivation for inducing the production of cryptic natural products from endophytes derived from the same host plant.

Squalene epoxidase promotes the proliferation and metastasis of lung squamous cell carcinoma cells though extracellular signal-regulated kinase signaling.

BACKGROUND: The biological function of squalene epoxidase (SQLE), an important rate-limiting enzyme in downstream cholesterol synthesis, is to convert squalene to 2-3 oxacin squalene. The expression of SQLE in lung cancer is abnormal. We conducted this study to investigate the effect of SQLE expression on lung squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) proliferation, migration, and invasion and its role in extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling. METHODS: Cell Counting Kit 8, wound healing, and Transwell assays; Western blotting; and quantitative real-time PCR were used to investigate the effect of SQLE in a lung SCC H520 cell line. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to identify the prognostic significance of SQLE. RESULTS: Overexpression of SQLE promoted lung SCC cell proliferation, migration and invasion, whereas knockdown of SQLE expression showed the opposite effect. SQLE can interact with ERK to enhance its phosphorylation. SQLE may contribute to the pathogenesis of lung cancer by modulating ERK signaling. Further survival analysis indicated that high expression of SQLE indicated poor prognosis in lung SCC. CONCLUSION: Our study presents novel evidence of potential biomarkers or therapeutic targets for lung SCC therapy and prognosis.

FL118, a novel camptothecin analogue, suppressed migration and invasion of human breast cancer cells by inhibiting epithelial-mesenchymal transition via the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway.

The aim of the current study was to investigate the effects of FL118, a novel camptothecin analogue, on migration and invasion of human breast cancer cells and the underlying mechanisms of those effects. A 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and a plate clone formation assay were used to examine inhibition of the proliferation of MDA-MB-231 cells by FL118. Cell cycle distribution was detected using flow cytometry. A wound healing assay and a transwell assay were performed to detect the effects of FL118 on migration and invasion of MDA-MB-231 cells, respectively. qRT-PCR, Western blotting, and immunocytochemistry were used to study the effects of FL118 on expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related molecules and Wnt/ ß-catenin signaling components in MDA-MB-231 cells. The current results indicated that FL118 inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of MDA-MB-231 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. FL118 caused MDA-MB-231 cells to accumulate in the S phase. FL118 significantly suppressed the expression of vimentin while enhancing the expression of E-cadherin. Moreover, decreased expression of ß-catenin and its targets survivin and cyclin Dl was detected in the nucleus of MDA-MB-231 cells. Taken together, the current results suggest that FL118 inhibited Wnt/ß-catenin signaling, leading to suppressed EMT and decreased migration and invasion of breast cancer cells.