Mechanism of Hirudin-Mediated Inhibition of Proliferation in Ovarian Cancer Cells

To investigate the inhibitory effect of hirudin on the cell proliferation of human ovarian cancer A2780 cells by preventing thrombin and its underlying molecular mechanism. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) method was used to detect the effect of different concentrations of hirudin and thrombin on the cell proliferation of A2780 cells. PAR-1 wild-type overexpression plasmid was constructed utilizing enzyme digestion identification, and it was transferred to A2780 cells. Sequencing and Western blot were used to detect the changes in PAR-1 protein expression. Western blot detection of PKCα protein phosphorylation in A2780 cells was performed. We also implemented quantitative PCR to detect the mRNA expression levels of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related genes, CDH2, Snail, and Vimentin, in A2780 cells. 1 μg/ml hirudin treatment maximally inhibited the promotion of A2780 cell proliferation by thrombin. Hirudin inhibited the binding of thrombin to the N-terminus of PAR-1, hindered PKCα protein phosphorylation in A2780 cells, and downregulated the mRNA expression levels of CDH2, Snail, and Vimentin. In conclusion, hirudin inhibits the cell proliferation of ovarian cancer A2780 cells, and the underlying mechanism may be through downregulating the transcription level of EMT genes, CDH2, Snail, and Vimentin. This study indicates that hirudin may have a therapeutic potential as an anti-cancer agent for ovarian cancer. Graphical Abstract