AKT signaling is involved in fucoidan-induced inhibition of growth and migration of human bladder cancer cells

•Fucoidan inhibited growth and migration of bladder cancer cells.•Fucoidan inhibited cell growth inhibition via p21WAF1-mediated G1-phase cell-cycle arrest by activation of AKT.•AKT activation is involved in the inhibition of migration through MMP-9/NF-κB/AP-1 pathways in fucoidan-treated cells. We identified a novel mechanism of AKT signaling in the fucoidan-induced proliferation and migration of human urinary 5637 cancer cells. Fucoidan treatment showed a significant growth inhibition followed by G1-phase-associated up-regulation of p21WAF1 expression and suppression of cyclins and CDK expression in 5637 cells. Also, fucoidan treatment induced the activation of AKT signaling, which was inhibited by treatment with wortmannin, a PI3K-specific inhibitor. Blockade of the AKT function reversed the fucoidan-mediated inhibition of cell proliferation, the increased G1-phase-associated p21WAF1 expression, and the reduction of cell-cycle proteins. Moreover, treatment with fucoidan blocked migration and invasion of 5637 cells. This inhibition was attributed to decreased expression of MMP-9, which was mediated by down-regulation of AP-1 and NF-κB binding activity. Furthermore, wortmannin treatment abolished the decreased cell migration and invasion and the inhibition of MMP-9 expression via the suppression of NF-κB and AP-1 in fucoidan-treated cells. Similar results were observed in another bladder cancer T-24 cells treated with fucoidan. Finally, overexpression of the AKT gene inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of bladder cancer cells. These data suggest that the activation of AKT signaling is involved in growth inhibition and suppression of the migration and invasion of bladder cancer cells treated with fucoidan.