Effects of quercetin on proliferation and migration of human glioblastoma U251 cells

Quercetin is a flavonoid that has been shown to have anti-oxidation, anti-inflammation, anti-allergic, anti-viral, and anti-cancer activities. Here, we examined the effects of quercetin on cell viability, cell cycle progression, and migration in U251 cells, a human glioblastoma cell line. We found that quercetin inhibited cell proliferation after treating cells for 24 (IC50 of 113.65 μg/ml) or 48 h (IC50 of 48.61 μg/ml). Quercetin treatment also induced apoptosis via deregulating the expression of apoptotic genes, including Bax and Bcl-2, and arrested cell cycle at G2/M phases. We further found that quercetin impaired cell migration and invasion via downregulating the expression of matrix metallopeptidases MMP9 and MMP2. Our results provide evidences that quercetin has inhibitory effects on glioblastoma cell proliferation and invasion, and suggest a potential clinical application for glioblastoma.