Fangchinoline targets epithelial–mesenchymal transition process by modulating activation of multiple cell‐signaling pathways

Epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a key process, which can promote the transition of tumor cells into other organs by weakening the cell‐cell junctions. Tumor cell invasion and metastasis arising because of EMT can determine the prognosis of cancer. EMT can be induced by several growth factors including transforming growth factor‐β (TGF‐β), which can exert their effects by affecting several cell‐signaling pathways. Fangchinoline (FCN), a kind of bisbenzylisoquinoline, belongs to the family Menispermaceae. FCN can display substantial antitumor effects against various malignant cell lines but its possible impact on EMT has not been explored. We examined the potential impact of FCN in affecting the activation of EMT in human colon cancer cells. We evaluated the influence of FCN on EMT in colon cancer cells by using Western blot analysis and reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction assays. The cellular invasion and migration were observed by Boyden chamber and wound healing assays. Thereafter, the effect of the drug on proliferation and invasion was also evaluated by real‐time cell analysis. FCN suppressed the levels of TGF‐β‐induced mesenchymal markers, such as fibronectin, vimentin, MMP‐9, MMP‐2, N‐cadherin, Twist, and Snail. However, FCN markedly enhanced the expression of epithelial markers such as occludin and E‐cadherin. These results imply that FCN can potentially inhibit tumor metastasis through abrogating EMT. In addition, FCN downregulated c‐Met/PI3K/Akt/mTOR and Wnt/β‐catenin cell signaling pathways and mitigated tumor migration as well as invasion. Overall, our study suggests a potential novel role of FCN as an antimetastatic agent against human colon cancer cells.