TY  - EJOU
AU  - Ma, Junxun 
AU  - Wang, Lijie 
AU  - Li, Jinyu 
AU  - Zhang, Guoqing 
AU  - Tao, Haitao 
AU  - Li, Xiaoyan 
AU  - Sun, Danyang 
AU  - Hu, Yi 

TI  - Swainsonine Inhibits Invasion and the EMT Process in Esophageal Carcinoma  Cells by Targeting Twist1
T2  - Oncology Research

PY  - 2018
VL  - 26
IS  - 8
SN  - 1555-3906

AB  - Esophageal cancer is a common gastrointestinal cancer, with a very high mortality rate in patients with metastasis. Swainsonine, a cytotoxic fungal alkaloid, has been shown to inhibit cell growth in esophageal cancer. 
In the present study, we explored the effects of swainsonine on cell invasion and metastasis in esophageal 
cancer cells. Human esophageal carcinoma cells were treated with different doses of swainsonine, and then 
cell viability, invasion, and apoptosis were measured. The mRNA and protein expressions of Twist1, apoptosis- and EMT-related factors, and PI3K/AKT pathway factors were detected by qRT-PCR and Western blot.
Swainsonine had no effect on esophageal cancer cell viability and apoptosis, but it significantly decreased cell 
invasion in a dose-dependent manner. Swainsonine increased the expression of E-cadherin but decreased the 
expression of N-cadherin, vimentin, ZEB1, and snail in a dose-dependent manner, thereby inhibiting EMT. 
Last, we found that swainsonine inhibits cell invasion and EMT in the esophageal carcinoma cells by downregulation of Twist1 and deactivation of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.
KW  - Swainsonine; Esophageal carcinoma; Cell invasion; Metastasis;  Epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT); Twist1

DO  - 10.3727/096504017X15046134836575