Antitumor effects of matrine on cancer stem like cells isolated from the human liver cancer SMMC-7721 cell line.

The existence of cancer stem cells (CSCs) or cancer stem-like cells (CSLCs) is regarded as the cause of tumor formation and recurrence. Matrine has been reported to exhibit antitumor effects in cancer cells. In the present study, a preliminary study was performed on the mechanisms of matrine on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) stem-like cells. The HCC SMMC-7721 cell line was cultured in tumor stem cell-specific medium to form spheres, and different concentrations (1, 2 and 5 mg/kg) of cisplatin were then used in order to purify the most drug-resistant cells, which were used as CSLCs. An MTT assay was performed to detect the inhibitory effects of matrine against CSLC proliferation. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and western blot analysis were used to detect changes in cell adhesion regulating gene (CAR), E-cadherin, laminin and fibronectin. As a result, using tryptose sulfite cycloserine medium culture and cisplatin-resistance screening, CSLCs were successfully isolated from the SMMC-7721 cell line. Matrine inhibited the proliferation of CSLCs in vitro. The results of qPCR and western blot analysis demonstrated that matrine upregulated the expression of CAR, E-cadherin, laminin and fibronectin in CSLCs compared with the control treatment. A certain concentration of matrine exhibited antitumor effects on HCC stem like cells.