Inhibition of cell motility and invasion by HangAmDan-B in NCI-H460 human non-small cell lung cancer cells.

Correlation between inhibition of cell motility and anti-invasive activity by the water extract of HangAmDan-B (HAD-B), a crude extract of eight Korean medicinal animals and plants, in NCI-H460 human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells was investigated. Within the concentrations that were not cytotoxic, HAD-B induced significant concentration-dependent inhibition of cell motility and invasiveness of NCI-H460 cells. Treatment with HAD-B resulted in dose-dependent inhibition of the activities of matrix metallo-proteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9, and this was correlated with a decrease in expression of their mRNA and proteins, and upregulation of tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-1 and TIMP-2 expression. Anti-invasive activity of HAD-B was also found to be associated with increased tightness of the tight junction (TJ), as demonstrated by an increase in transepithelial electrical resistance. In addition, the present results indicated that treatment with HAD-B resulted in repression of the levels of claudin family members, which are major components of TJs that play a key role in control and selectivity of para-cellular transport. Although further studies are needed, findings from the present study indicate that TJs and MMPs are critical targets of HAD-B-induced anti-invasiveness in NCI-H460 NSCLC cells.