Evodiamine Suppresses Survival, Proliferation, Migration and Epithelial–Mesenchymal Transition of Thyroid Carcinoma Cells

BACKGROUND/AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of evodiamine alone or in combination with chemotherapeutic agents on thyroid carcinoma cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: TPC-1 and SW1736 thyroid carcinoma cells were used. Cell viability, cytotoxic activity, apoptosis and migration were examined by applying appropriate methods. Drug combination analysis was performed. RESULTS: Evodiamine treatment of cells decreased cell viability, and Bcl2 and phospho-AKT protein levels. Cytotoxic activity and the percentage of apoptotic cells increased. After co-treatment of wortmannin, cell viability, and phospho-AKT and Bcl2 protein levels decreased, and cytotoxic activity increased. In transforming growth factor-β-treated cells, evodiamine attenuated variations in morphology, growth and migration, and increased p21 and p53 protein levels, and decreased β-catenin, N-cadherin, vimentin, phospho-AKT, matrix metalloproteinase-2 and matrix metalloproteinase-9 protein levels. When cells were treated with both evodiamine and chemotherapeutic agents, all combination index values were lower than 1.0. CONCLUSION: Evodiamine was cytotoxic towards thyroid carcinoma cells, and repression of AKT reinforced evodiamine-induced cytotoxicity. Furthermore, evodiamine ameliorated proliferation, migration and epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and synergized with chemotherapeutic agents.