Qigesan inhibits migration and invasion of esophageal cancer cells via inducing connexin expression and enhancing gap junction function.

Qigesan (QGS), a well-known traditional Chinese medicinal formula, has long been used to treat patients with esophageal cancer. However, the anticancer mechanisms of action of QGS remain unknown. This study aims to determine whether QGS regulates gap junction (GJ) function and affects the invasiveness of esophageal cancer cells. Our results demonstrate that QGS markedly inhibits the migration and invasion of esophageal cancer cells in vitro. We further show that QGS enhances the function of GJ in esophageal cancer cells. We therefore hypothesized that enhanced connexin expression leads to enhanced GJ function and inhibition of metastasis. We found that QGS enhances expression of connexin 26 and connexin 43 in esophageal cancer cells. This study suggests that QGS increases GJ function via enhancing the expression of connexins, resulting in reduced esophageal cancer cell migration and invasion.