Oroxylin A inhibits hypoxia-induced invasion and migration of MCF-7 cells by suppressing the Notch pathway.

Tumor invasion and migration obstructs the treatment and prognosis of cancer. In this research, we investigated the effect of oroxylin A, a natural compound extracted from Scutellaria radix, the root of Scutellaria baicalensis, on inhibition of the invasion and migration of three different tumor cell lines: MCF-7, DU145, and HepG2. The results suggested that oroxylin A could inhibit hypoxia-induced migration and invasion of the three cell lines mentioned above. To study the detailed mechanisms, studies were carried out on MCF-7 cells and it was found that oroxylin A could regulate the expression of related markers in MCF-7 cells including E-cadherin, N-cadherin, and Vimentin. It was also found that oroxylin A inhibited the hypoxia-induced invasion and migration of MCF-7 cells by suppressing the Notch pathway. Oroxylin A inhibited N1ICD translocating to the nucleus and binding to epithelial-mesenchymal transition-related transcription factor Snail, thus suppressing the invasion and migration of MCF-7 cells. Therefore, oroxylin A is expected to be a promising candidate for antimetastasis treatment through suppression of the hypoxia-induced Notch pathway.