Kalopanaxsaponin A inhibits the invasion of human oral squamous cell carcinoma by reducing metalloproteinase-9 mRNA stability and protein trafficking.

An inability to control cancer cell invasion and metastasis is the leading cause of death in patients with cancer. The present study was performed to determine the anti-invasive effect of Kalopanaxsaponin A (KPS-A) on matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9)-meidated invasion in phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA)-stimulated human oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cells and a murine xenograft model of human OSCC. KPS-A, isolated from Kalopanax pictus, inhibited PMA-induced proliferation and invasion as well as PMA-induced MMP-9 expression and secretion at non-cytotoxic doses. KPS-A treatment reduced the stability of PMA-induced MMP-9 mRNA and inhibited the PMA-induced cytoplasmic translocation of HuR. In PMA-treated cells, KPS-A treatment resulted in the intracellular accumulation of MMP-9 and suppressed Ras-associated binding 1A (Rab1A) expression. KPS-A treatment suppressed PMA-induced phosphorylation of extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK)1/2 and Akt. Furthermore, the oral administration of KPS-A led to substantial inhibition of tumor growth and the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), MMP-9, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1), HuR, and Rab1A in the tumor tissues of mice inoculated with YD-10B OSCC cells. Collectively, KPS-A inhibits the invasiveness of oral cancer by reducing HuR-mediated MMP-9 mRNA stability and Rab1A-mediated MMP-9 secretion via ERK1/2 and phosphatidylinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt. Therefore, KPS-A is a promising anti-invasive agent.