Magnolol suppresses the proliferation and invasion of cholangiocarcinoma cells via inhibiting the NF-κB signaling pathway

BackgroundMagnolol has shown the potential anticancer properties against a variety of cancers. However, the role of magnolol in cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) cells is unknown. In this study, we assessed the effect of magnolol on the CCA cells.MethodsCCA cells were treated with magnolol in the absence or presence of TNFα, the activator for NF-κB. After co-incubation with magnolol, cell proliferation and growth were examined by MTT, colony formation and xenograft tumors; cell cycle was analyzed by flow cytometry; cell migration and invasion were detected by wound healing and transwell assays; the expression of PCNA, Ki67, CyclinD1, MMP-2, MMP-7 and MMP-9 and NF-κB pathway were evaluated by using Western blot.ResultsMagnolol inhibited the abilities of CCA cell growth, migration and invasion accompanying with a decreased expression of PCNA, Ki67, MMP-2, MMP-7 and MMP-9 (all P < 0.05).Treatmentwith magnolol induced cell cycle arrest in G1 phase with a downregulation of cell cycle protein CyclinD1 (all P < 0.05). In addition, magnolol suppressed the expression of p-IκBα and p-P65 and the effect of magnolol on CCA cells could be inhibited by TNFα.ConclusionsMagnolol could inhibit the growth, migration and invasion of CCA cells through regulation of NF-κB pathway, and these data indicate that magnolol is a potential candidate for treating of CCA.