Shikonin blocks migration and invasion of human breast cancer cells through inhibition of matrix metalloproteinase-9 activation.

Shikonin, a natural naphthoquinone isolated from a traditional Chinese medicinal herb, has been reported to promote tumor cell death. However, there are few reports concerning its effect on metastasis-related cell invasion and migration behavior. In the present study, we investigated the effect of shikonin on human breast cancer invasion and migration. We found that shikonin inhibited phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA)-induced cell migration and invasion in MCF-7 breast cancer cells, which was correlated with modulation of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) through suppression of both expression and proteolytic and promoter activity. We also found that shikonin inhibited both MMP-9 expression and promoter activity in MDA-MB‑231 cells with high metastatic potential. These results indicated that shikonin induces the suppression of migration and invasion through modulation of MMP-9 in human breast cancer cells. Therefore, shikonin may be a potential anticancer drug for human breast cancer therapy.