Sauchinone inhibits breast cancer cell proliferation through regulating microRNA-148a-3p/HER-2 axis

Sep 24, 2026

Uploaded by Oliver

Background: Sauchinone, extracted from Saururus chinensis, shows strong antitumor activity across multiple human cancers, yet its role in breast cancer remains insufficiently defined. Methods: The study evaluated cell apoptosis, proliferation, and cell-cycle distribution, and used a xenograft tumor mouse model to assess in vivo effects, including protein detection via western blot. Results: Sauchinone reduced proliferation and survival while inducing apoptosis of MCF-7 and Bcap-37 cells, increasing miR-148a-3p and modulating HER-2. Conclusion: Sauchinone inhibits breast cancer progression via regulating the microRNA-148a-3p/HER-2 axis and may serve as an effective anticancer agent.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

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Pages10

Reading Time25 min

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Abstract

Introduction

Materials and Methods

DOI: 10.1111/1759-7714.14834 ORIGINA L ARTICLE Sauchinone inhibits breast cancer cell proliferation through regulating microRNA-148a-3p/HER-2 axis Xiaolei Hu 1 | Jie Wang 2 | Pei Shang 1 | Shan Wang 1 | Lujia Chen 1 | Changsheng Ye 1 | Guangyu Yao 1 1Department of Breast Surgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou City, China 2Department of Clinical Nutrition, Southern Theater Air Force Hospital, Guangzhou City, China Correspondence Xiaolei Hu and Guangyu Yao, Department of Breast Surgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, No. 1838 Guangzhou Avenue North, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, 510515, China. [Email:](Email: xlhu@smu.edu.cn and ygy531@)[ xlhu@smu.edu.cn](Email: xlhu@smu.edu.cn and ygy531@)[ and](Email: xlhu@smu.edu.cn and ygy531@)[ ygy531@](Email: xlhu@smu.edu.cn and ygy531@)[ ](Email: xlhu@smu.edu.cn and ygy531@)[hotmail.com](hotmail.com) Funding information Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province, Grant/Award Number: 2019A1515011331 Abstract Background: Sauchinone is extracted from the root of Saururus chinensis and exhibits potent antitumor effects in various human cancers. However, how sauchinone is involved in breast cancer has not been well studied. Methods: Cells apoptosis, cell proliferation, and cycle distribution were evaluated. Xenograft tumor mouse model was constructed to investigate the roles of sauchinone. The relevant protein expression was detected by western blot. Results: We found that sauchinone significantly reduced proliferation and survival, also induced apoptosis of MCF-7 and Bcap-37 cells in vitro. Sauchinone significantly increased miR-148a-3p expression, and human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER)-2 targeted on miR-148a-3p. Sauchinone exposure downregulated HER-2 expression whose overexpression partly eliminated the inhibitory effect of sauchinone. Further, sauchinone efficiently inhibited breast cancer progression through downregulating HER-2 expression in vivo. Conclusion: Our results indicate that sauchinone efficiently inhibits breast cancer progression through regulating miR-148a-3p/HER-2 axis, suggesting that sauchinone could be an effective anticancer agent for breast cancer. KEYW ORD S apoptosis, breast cancer, miR-148a-3p, proliferation, sauchinone INTRODUCTION Breast cancer is a common type of cancer and accounts for 16% of cancer deaths among adult women.1 For breast cancer, current therapies are multimodal majorly including drug therapy, surgery, and radiation.2 Despite dramatic advancesin breast cancer diagnosis, it is still a major health challenge.3 Therefore, a better understanding of the complex mechanism in this disease contributes to develop efficient anticancer agents for breast cancer. Sauchinone is isolated from the roots of Saururus chinensis (SC), and is reported to have hepatoprotective, antioxidant, and antitumor properties.4 However, for breast cancer, sauchinone can downregulate the expression of Xiaolei Hu, Jie Wang, and Pei Shang contributed equally to this work. vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), proliferationrelated gene including cyclin D 1, and anti-apoptotic Bcl-2, which are responsible for apoptosis through the caspase-3 activation.5 However, the specific molecular mechanism of sauchinone in breast cancer remains unclear. Human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER)-2 is a proto-oncogene6 and highly expressed HER-2 has been observed in prostate, lung, bladder, pancreatic cancer, and osteosarcoma.7 In breast cancer, 􀀁 15% to 20% of patients exhibit obvious overexpression of HER2, which results in a poorer prognosis and survival.8 Therefore, the identification and development of antitumor agent targeting HER-2 could be used for HER2-positive breast cancer patients. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are reported to be involved in breast cancer. MicroRNA-223 can promote breast cancer cell proliferation by targeting FOXO 1 and function as a potential tumor This is an

FAQs

What is the central mechanism proposed for sauchinone in breast cancer?

Sauchinone inhibits breast cancer progression by regulating the microRNA-148a-3p/HER-2 axis, increasing miR-148a-3p and targeting HER-2.

How did the study assess sauchinone’s effects on breast cancer cells?

It evaluated apoptosis, cell proliferation, and cell-cycle distribution in vitro, and used a xenograft tumor mouse model for in vivo investigation, with protein expression measured by western blot.

What happens when HER-2 is overexpressed in the presence of sauchinone?

HER-2 overexpression can partly eliminate the inhibitory effect of sauchinone, supporting HER-2’s role downstream of the miR-148a-3p axis.

Sep 24, 2026

Uploaded by Oliver